Soothing Sounds for Baby: Vol. 3

Presentación del Álbum

After exploring melody in Volume 1 and percussion in Volume 2, Soothing Sounds for Baby, Volume 3 integrates and alternates between the two concepts, resulting in the series' greatest musical contrasts. Appropriate for the sophistication and maturity of its intended age group of 12 to 18 months, Volume 3 contains the most intricate pieces of any of the albums. The arrangements take center stage on the album's three pieces, particularly on the opening song, "Tin Soldier." A fittingly stiff, metallic snare anchors dancing synth melodies reminiscent of banjos and harpsichords, then reaches farther orbits with some of Raymond Scott's trademark spacy keyboards. "Little Miss Echo" follows "Tin Soldier's" witty, whimsical march with one of the series' loveliest, most ambient works. Appropriately spacious-sounding, the song floats on great waves of synth, topped by sonar-like flourishes and supported by a delicate, stately bassline. With minimal percussion, the song hearkens back to Volume 1's spacy melodies. However, "Little Miss Echo" is more serene and complex, with a more developed sense of melody and harmony that predicts artists like Stereolab and Laika almost 30 years before their existence. The album's final track, "The Playful Drummer," introduces another, very different take on melody and rhythm, this time exploring percussion's tonal, melodic potential. As a keyboard plays a constant oompah rhythm, Scott is the playful drummer, experimenting with melodies and patterns through his electronic drums. Though some patterns repeat, the song never quite settles into a predictable pattern over its 15-minute stretch. Instead, "The Playful Drummer" skips and jumps from high to low, fast to slow, and tosses in some snippets of feedback for good measure. One of the more disorienting but interesting pieces of the Soothing Sounds for Baby series, the song showcases Scott's unique, undiluted artistic vision. Much like a baby itself, Soothing Sounds for Baby is playful and ever-changing, revealing its hidden logic and maturity over time.

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