If any proof were needed as to just how ubiquitous the electro-pop scene is in the early 2010s,
Justin Fletcher's
Hands Up...The Album shows that even records aimed at pre-school children have succumbed to trance-pop synths and techno beats. Performed with gusto by the permanently cheerful CBeebies presenter, star of shows including Gigglebiz, Justin's House, and perhaps best-known as Mr. Tumble in Something Special, this 20-track collection includes the usual kids favorites, from instructional singalongs such as "Heads, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" and "The Hokey Cokey" to classic nursery rhymes "Old Macdonald Had a Farm" and "Incy Wincy Spider." Other than the military drums and parping brass on "The Grand Old Duke of York," the dancehall-tinged "The Wheels On the Bus," and the old-fashioned schlager of "The Teddy Bear's Picnic," the uptempo tracks are all given the same tinny Euro-pop treatment, ensuring most parents are likely to be tearing their hair out by the time "Nellie the Elephant" packs her trunk and says goodbye to the circus. But
Fletcher's enthusiasm is hard to knock, and with the likes of the a cappella "The Sailor's Lament" and the twinkling "Justin's Lullaby" (which alongside the title track is one of just two originals here) bringing a sense of calm to proceedings, it's perhaps the ideal record to soundtrack both the sugar rush and the comedown of any toddler's party. ~ Jon O'Brien