Tim & His Space Cadets – No Place Like HOME

Tim Kubart proves that you can be infectious without being dangerous. The Sprout channel host (and former member of the Jimmies) has released his second collection of kid's songs, HOME.  It's just as contagious as the first CD (with his band, the Space Cadets) and he's hitting the road to promote the album's 14 tracks.

The album's central connecting thread is the powerful, comforting location where every kid feels most at ease; that is, their own physical space. In tracks like "Last Turn Home," "Rooms," and "Moving Day," Tim draws on experiences both personal and common, to examine the visceral, overwhelming sense of calm and happiness that come with knowing there's a loving destination at the end of a long afternoon, school day, or vacation. With my own living situation in flux, I immediately empathized and drew strength from "Moving Day," which closes the CD:

Mom said it's hard to leave so many things
But our hearts are full of everything we're bringing.
Moving day
It's what we take away.

Fellow Sprout-ster Carly Ciarrocchi pops up to harmonize on the disco-fied "Breakfast Club." Postmodern Jukebox's Drue Davis rocks out and raps on "Sunday Crafternoon." Children's recording superstar Laurie Berkner makes a guest appearance on "Better," singing about how love makes any place a home. The final funky thread is the album's salsa-tinged "Dancing in the Kitchen," which begs for an accompanying video. Speaking of videos, I pledged to produce a family project featuring my two kids for the younger one's birthday in November, using Tim's unabashedly blissful ode to new family additions, "Biggest Brother."

Perhaps Tim is most comfortable relating to children. Perhaps Tim never grew up and seeks to continue to mine those interests as a lifelong career. Tim has tapped into the inner child that most of us reluctantly part with as our tween years unfold. Tim's childlike sense of wonder and enthusiasm guide his vision and make his music faithfully fun and family-friendly.

HOME is available on September 25 from Tim's website, Amazon, PledgeMusic, and iTunes. Click here to listen to the track "Last Turn Home."

Here is a preview video that Tim released for his song, "Better":