Rough Trade — the label to go to for indie in the UK since 1976 — has done something unexpected and bizarre: they’ve created a compilation record “for children and grown ups too.” But it’s obvious that Colours Are Brighter was made as a compromise between kids and their parents: lyrically and songcraft-wise, this is definitely an album for kids … but Four Tet?! Franz Ferdinand!? the Flaming Lips!? Certainly not another Raffi LP.
Which is good.
A few tracks stand out in particular to me here … Four Tet’s “Go Go Ninja Dinosaur” is actually one of this danciest tunes, and it features one of my favorite samples (”Hey, Ninja D!/Let’s find the Boogie Beat!”) I also really like Franz Ferdinand’s “Jackie Jackson” which, while a little lyrically dense for toddlers, has that classic Franz Ferdinand feel. Oh, and I dig the goofy little piano ditty there. I guess this song will have to hold us fans over until their next release … (is that not sort of sad, though?)

Franz Ferdinand - Jackie Jackson
Four Tet - Go Go Ninja Dinosaur