.com Following on the heels of the immensely smart, hip Wild Thing (and a string of gems before that), Car Tunes is a top-shelf concept album for kids. Here the theme is utterly simple: these are all tunes associated with cars. From washing them ("Car Wash") to driving them ("Fun, Fun, Fun"), cars are not only the subject matter, but also the place where the Sugar Beats insist Car Tunes ought to be played. Every song has a danceable vibe that goes from big, bright hip-shakers (Fine Young Cannibals' "She Drives Me Crazy") to simple snap-alongs, such as Roger Miller's "King of the Road." An especially charming component of "King" and the funky "Mustang Sally" is the colorful use of kids' voices, either as chorus or simple, cute background effect. In their previous work the Sugar Beats have hung their hats on an old-school set of instruments, but here they revel in rhythm tracks and keyboards. But of that gets in the way of the spirit behind Car Tunes, which is classic Sugar Beats--aimed dually at different generations. Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" recast as mid-tempo dance pop sung entirely by kids? It works for all involved. --Andrew Bartlett Product Description As the title suggests, Sugar Beats: Car Tunes collects road-tested favorites like "On the Road Again," "Freeway of Love," "Cars," and "She Drives Me Crazy" as sung by the Sugar Beats. "Car Wash," "King of the Road," "Expressway to Your Heart," and "Hitch Hike" are some of the other surprisingly eclectic oldies on this entertaining album, which may make the next road trip a little easier to bear. Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Car Tunes