Four Stars From Time Out Chicago Kids

I guess it’s kindie-folk summer! Quick. Grab an acoustic guitar and find a campfire ’cause “we’re gonna raise a ruckus tonight!” For their tenth release (whew, that’s a lot of campfires!), the kid-folk duo spares no expense. With guest artists including Grammy winners Buck Howdy (king of kindie country) and Marcy Marxer (queen of kindie-folk), the regal indie party has truly begun. Complete your royal s’more with Steve Denyes’s Johnny Cash–alike vocals, and you’ll be ready to unholster the kid in you and sling this high-energy album for a road trip—or a run through your backyard sprinklers. The music spans the American landscape: The title track hearkens to the sounds of the Grand Ole Opry; “Look At You” takes us to the swamps of New Orleans; and “Favorite Day” is like skipping a stone on a back road in Oklahoma. Most wonderfully, the songs are filled with that dual-level humor that’ll make a kid belly laugh and a parent smirk. So what are you waiting for? Go gather your kindling before it gets dark! Available September 4.

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