The second album in
Walter Martin
's self-described "juvenile" series,
My Kinda Music
captures the funny, poignant nuances of being young in songs that build bridges from parents to children. This time,
Martin
borrows some of the appealing looseness of the grown-up
Arts & Leisure
; "Child, the Man Said," which sets a fanciful bedtime story to barrelhouse piano, could be a fresh-faced outtake from that album. Indeed, storytelling is
's focus on
, and he takes inspiration from a pair of master tale-spinners:
Garrison Keillor
and
Randy Newman
. The latter is even mentioned by name on "Hey Matt," a reunion with
the National
's
Matt Berninger
, who helped make "We Like the Zoo ('Cause We're Animals Too)" a
We're All Young Together
highlight. Here, he stands in for
Newman
, giving
singing lessons and commiserating because
wouldn't appear on the song. Meanwhile, "Family Tree" marries
Keillor
's folksy style with a genealogy lesson and wide-open strumming that sounds like staring at never-ending fields from the back seat on a road trip. Stories and family go hand in hand throughout
, and
combines them especially well on the bouncy call and response of "Marco Polo," where a kid humors his dad by playing one of his boring old games, and "Where'd You Go Uncle Joe?," which shows some love to aunts and uncles, who aren't the most represented relatives when it comes to music. And when it comes to
's music, these songs are among his most expressive, blending decades and influences in his inimitable way: the title track riffs on doo wop and calypso, and the tropical twang continues on the
Laura Gibson
collaboration "Trip on a Ship" and "The Everglades," which gets wilder and woollier as
and company get closer to their destination. From the irrepressible opener "The Wishing Well" to the finale "It's a Dream [Night Version]," which calls back to
with a sweetly tucked-in reprise,
has a wonderful sense of musical and family history.
achieves just the right balance of fun-loving and laid-back, building on an impressive body of solo work that also happens to be effortlessly heartwarming. ~ Heather Phares