Contrary to the title of his new family music EP, Elliott Park is not feeling down in The Mouth. Coming out of the pandemic, Park has all his ducks in the row. He recently signed with kids-only 8 Lb Gorilla Records, which has released Park’s second collection of tunes featuring the Nashville-based artist and his three teenage daughters, Anna (18), Autumn (16), and April (14).
The seven tracks on The Mouth run the gamut from a mock protest rock anthem (“Silent Letters”) to folksy duet (“Lemon Pie” with April) to Johnny Cash homage (“I’ve Watched Everything”). In the last song, Park comically laments needing an MRI because his remote control got stuck in his grip due to compulsive television habits. “I’ve got an LED tan ’cause I’ve watched everything,” he reports, including:
Star Trek, Love Boat, Howdy Doody, Gunsmoke,
Muppet Show, Twilight Zone—every single episode,
Full House, Mighty Mouse, Super Bowl, Columbo,
SpongeBob, Fraggle Rock, TeleTubbies, Fargo,
Mr. Rogers, Barney, Bob the Builder, Dawson’s Creek,
Mod Squad, Hee Haw, Peppa Pig, Shawn the Sheep.
The title track is an ode to the control that “The Mouth” leverages over the rest of the body. The heart may want a kiss and the stomach might be hungry, but the buck stops at the face’s point of entry. However, the mouth is also responsible for saying “I love you,” Park reminds listeners. “Silent Letters” declares the time has come to bring full pronunciation to words like “IS-land” and “Ton-GUE.” It’s the perfect track for anyone who has inadvertently misread or spoken a word due to phonetic uncertainty.
Elliott Park’s kids’ music straddles the fertile divide between the country and kindie genres. His family jam band entertains your kids without insulting your intelligence. Expect positive word of mouth to spread his praises.
The Mouth is available from Elliott Park’s website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Here is a video for the song “The Mouth”:
