Search - Paul K. Joyce :: Bob the Builder: The Album

He may be an unapologetically blue-collar kind of guy, but Bob the Builder sounds awfully big for his work britches on his album debut. Since when does this crew carry on in British accents? Such a royal renovation, when it's this unexpected, can be irreparably jarring. Regardless, if your preschooler isn't completely put out about the right proper revamping of his TV hero, chances are you'll both finds lots of reasons to linger 'round the repair yard here, not least of which is the ramped-up energy supply. "Mambo No. 5" is whipped into a worker-bee's anthem ("A little bit of toiling on the roof / A little bit of making waterproof"), '60s chestnut "Dizzy" spins spirited circles around the original, and "Right Tool for the Job" will find wannabe builders teaching bust-a-move techniques to Mom and Dad. Other tunes, like "What Can I Be (Spud's Song)" and "Blonde Haired Gal in a Hardhat (Wendy's Song)" tone down the tempo to flick an exploratory flashlight on feelings. Still, a sticky bubblegum pop and dance sensibility cements these 12 tracks for carefree kiddy consumption ("Bob's Line Dance" swipes the boy-band sound, "Crocodile Rock" electronifies Sir Elton), and everybody but our-side-of-the-pond Bob purists will dig in. Can a bunch of blokes produce a Bob the Builder record American kids will cozy up to? By cracky, yes, they can! --Tammy La Gorce