*** NRBQ

YOU'RE NICE PEOPLE YOU ARE

(Rounder)

NRBQ's first children's album isn't much goofier than some of their grown-up albums, but their inherent playfulness makes them the right band for the job. They could easily have compiled enough kid-friendly songs from their previous discs, but all 13 tunes here are new originals; and they tailor the album for kids by toning down their noisy rock-and-roll side and playing up their hummable pop side (resident popsters Johnny and Joey Spampinato do most of the writing). Subjects dealt with? Just relevant things like friendly spiders, playground safety, encyclopedias, St. Patrick's Day, and the thrill of owning "Plenty of Somethin' " ("I like it a lot, now what do I got? What not, diddly squat."). They also throw in a few in-jokes for adults, like the Beach Boys "Smile" harmonies that turn up in "There's a Girl, There's a Boy." The title track is so ridiculously catchy that you might start singing it to strangers. Which I suppose was the idea.

-- Brett Milano