Say Hello to the Sun is one of the best pop music CDs of 2008 for kids, tweens, teens, and adults!
The Artist
Cathy Heller has written songs for Kodak, Champion Sportswear, and films like Legally Blonde, and is currently in development of her own TV show with The Jim Henson Company. In the meantime she made an album for kids that reflects her sunny, positive personality and the theories learned at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center. For more insight into Heller's outlook on life, check out her list of "10 Things I Do to Enjoy Every Day" at the end of the review.The Music
Working with producers like Matthew Puckett, Eve Nelson, and Richard Furch, Heller creates songs that hit a midpoint between Radio Disney and Fountains of Wayne, with fuzzy power chords, touches of electronica, and super catchy choruses. In fact, tracks like "It's Up to Me," "Room to Breathe," "Supergirl," "Make a Wish," and "Green World" are ready-made for pop radio.
But Say Hello to the Sun isn't pretty, vacant pop: "It's Up to Me," "Supergirl," and "Truth" are anthems of self-reliance and self-determination; "Room to Breathe," "Coming Home," and the title track encourage the listener to slow down and enjoy living in the now; while "Make a Wish" and "Green World" maintain that the future lies in the hands of each individual.
Heller rounds out the album with the lyrically and musically awesome chorus of "Truth," the breezy "Suitcase of Daydreams" and "Summerfree," and the sweet acoustic tune "You are My Friend." And, look out, the Carole King-inspired piano pop of "Rose Colored Glasses" out-High-School-Musical-s High School Musical!
The Verdict
There's a definite trend here, with lines like "We can change the world," "One little change, it takes a lot of hands," and "We've the power to change it all." From Cathy Heller's point of view, there's no "look what the world's done to me" attitude allowed!
And unlike most Billboard-charting tween tunes that emphasize self-worth without acknowledging the value or existence of, well, anyone else in the world, Say Hello to the Sun celebrates the self while also emphasizing the importance of friends and family, empathy for others, and the earth itself. A solid pop CD for kids and a great alternative to current popular tween music.
Released August 26, 2008; Canopy Tree Records
Cathy Heller's "10 Things I Do to Enjoy Every Day"
- Wake up and take a moment to be grateful for being given another day
- Spend some time outside (sit under a canopy tree or take a walk)
- Do something for someone else
- Picture what I want and see it happening
- Write a song about something I just learned that can inspire others
- Remember to breathe
- Connect with my close friends and family
- Read an inspiring book or take a class
- Connect to the bigger picture and know it's all good all the time
- Listen to my inner voice
