To the venerable and time-honored cinematic tradition of penguins struggling for self-expression (Happy Feet, Surf's Up), now comes Pigloo, The Ice Field. To appreciate this album, you have to get over your long-held prejudice against repetitive, synthesized, electronic penguin music. Once past that hurdle, you're in.
I know what you're thinking:
a) Do we really need more penguin animation?
b) What do the French know about a penguin's existential crisis?
c) Can I get that baby on the E*TRADE ads to pick my stocks?
The answers are:
a) Yes;
b) Plenty; and
c) A little focus, here?
La Banquise predates Happy Feet and Surf's Up, so it's actually the granddaddy of the penguin genre. Kind of like Odysseus is to Ulysses. Like Degrassi Jr. High is to Beverly Hills 90210. Like the Book of Job is to Goethe's Faust.
My first reaction to the music was: "Turn this off now before I suffer from a nervous breakdown and attempt to remove my own fingernails." But my daughter listens to Pigloo with such good humor and pure enjoyment. She used my tactics on me: repetition and enthusiasm. She hopped around the house singing:
Sautez, criez, chantez, dancez! (Jump, yell, sing, dance!)
Sold.
The cd comes with two amazingly engaging and adorable video clips (I've posted one above). And the songs are slowly worming their way into my good graces. The sound is predominantly electronic, but there's a bit of reggae, twist, and my personal favorite: samba. The final track, La Banquise S'en Va, takes its place next to the best island songs, like The Beach Boys' "Kokomo". La Banquise S'en Va is a truly sweet song that, I confess, I listen to over and over.
Liner notes include French lyrics.
