Charity & JAMband Share Earth Music

Earth Day is Friday, April 22. But in reality, every day should be Earth Day. As long as an environmental crisis grips the planet, people must remain vigilant. Especially in the face of climate change deniers and politicians who fear corporate powers more than the thought of ocean levels a foot higher and a depleted ozone layer.

Charity and the JAMband commemorate the occasion with a brand-new CD, EARTH. "Every day should be Earth Day," she sings on the track with that name. Truth be told, Charity Kahn and company have always been ecologically-conscious and 100 percent bio-kindie-gradeable. From their base in San Francisco, California, their website mantra is "Music - Love - World Peace." So don't dispute the message or hate the messenger. Come for the harmonies and stay for the natural warmth in the lyrics.

While you can't fault Charity for her earnest sincerity, subtitling your CD "Songs for the Earth and All Beings" is going to set off internal alarms in less socially-conscious parents. For instance, "We Speak for the Earth" is immediately followed by "I Am the Earth." Okay, if the Earth can speak for itself, why... oh why even ask the question.

The band does deliver some less-weighty thoughts with "Sing A Summer Song" and "We Love Everybody." The former I can absolutely concur (don't ask me about the latter these days). And "Pebble Meditation Song" would not feel out of place on Kira Willey's latest yoga for kids collection. "But it's a little hippie dippy," you might blurt, finally unable to control yourself. Yeah, but this is 10 songs devoted to the singular concept that the next generation needs a gentle entrance ramp to the world of liberal arts and open-mindedness. Your world may not be perfect but we only have one planet and Charity points out that EARTH is what we all share, no matter what our differences may be.

Closing track "Little One" starts with a sonic callback to Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night" (at least for me) but turns into a gentle lullaby whispering "I am here forever for you." In the context of EARTH, Charity is singing about this fragile planet with the double entendré of a parent tucking in a child. But the underlying sentiment is a comforting promise we all want somebody to tell us every night of our lives, no matter how young or how old. Let sweet Charity sing your sorrows to sleep and dream about a healthier world and a sunnier EARTH for all.

EARTH is available from Charity's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes. Check the band's Facebook page next week for one free song download per day from the CD!

Here is the video for Charity and the JAMband's song, "Earth Day":