If a musician composes and performs children's songs for a living, it's probably really hard to convince her friends that she has had a hard day. Who, after all, will sympathize with the difficulties encountered in writing "Talkin' to My Teddy?" Or empathize with a diatribe about the poor quality of the sound system at Sherwood Elementary? Probably no one, but
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer keep their childish noses to the grindstone nonetheless. Indeed, their friends must have at least been impressed that this songwriting team garnered Grammy nominations for Blanket Full of Dreams and Pillow Full of Wishes. Now they have returned with the final entry in their bedtime trilogy,
Pocket Full of Stardust. The folk songs presented here are catchy, simple, and straightforward. A banjo and guitar offer a bouncy backdrop to "Who's Been Sleepin' in My Bed," while a quiet electric guitar graces "I Got Pajamas." There are also a number of gentle lullabies, including
Marxer's "Wish for Tomorrow" and
Fink's title cut. No matter how good this album is, though, it's doubtful that
Pocket Full of Stardust will convince children to go to bed when they're told to do so. Still, if a child likes the album enough, perhaps it can be withheld to induce the proper behavior. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.