On 2004's
Now the Day Is Over
,
Karen Peris
applied her gentle, bittersweet musical identity to a set of family-friendly covers as part of her and her husband's long-running group
the Innocence Mission
. It included lullaby-minded songs such as "Stay Awake" from
Mary Poppins
, "What a Wonderful World," and "Over the Rainbow," alongside a handful of classical and traditional pieces. Nearly two decades later, the solo album
A Song Is Way Above the Lawn
revisits this idea on ten original songs presented as a children's collection. To the benefit of children and adults alike, however, the album speaks to listeners of all ages, as it rarely if ever condescends while delving into relatable topics like personal heroes, outings, and taking in the natural world. Typical of the album's deceptively efficient arrangements, opener "Superhero" is a dreamy, wistful, piano-centric song with a light rhythm section and strings under
Peris
' famously wispy voice. Its appreciative lyrics include the lines, "I see the way you are so kind/To everyone you come by." Later, the title track, which describes hearing music from across a yard, features beautifully complex chords that play a lot more like a
Carole King
classic than like preschool fodder. Even a song with a title like "For a Giraffe" puts a thoughtful, romantic spin on imagining being able to ride the animal. It both reviews the day's schedule and notes surroundings in the process ("Talking about small things/Listening to peaceful skies"). While every song here is touching and feels worthwhile, booklovers will be especially drawn to "To the Library," whose accordion and broken piano chords underscore a trip to the library to see friends ("I'm not alone"). Other instruments on the quiet album include guitars, melodica, and pump organ. A family affair, upright bass and drum kit are performed by the aforementioned
Don Peris
, whose contributions include the softly swinging "This Is a Song in Wintertime," and their children,
Drew
and
Anna
, provide the occasional violin and viola. Almost like an antidote to programmed, singalong kidz pop,
feels restorative and may even leave some misty-eyed. ~ Marcy Donelson