Perennial surfer dude/
singer/songwriter
Jack Johnson
lends his voice to the eternally silent
Curious George
on this collection of "Sing-A-Longs and
Lullabies
," original material built around the famous monkey and his strange obsession with "the Man with the Yellow Hat."
Universal Pictures
couldn't have picked a better collaborator for this
soundtrack
to the
film, as
Johnson
's easygoing delivery and breezy demeanor match
George
's silent curiosity to a T. Fellow songwriters
Ben Harper
,
G. Love
, and
Matt Costa
contribute three songs to the predominantly children-oriented affair, while
and band give up an island rendition of
the White Stripes
'
"We're Going to Be Friends,"
as well as the umpteenth cover of
Schoolhouse Rock!
's
"Three Is the Magic Number."
Heady stuff? Not exactly, but there's not an ounce of pretense to the project, making it a fun, safe bet for kids and a forgettable -- yet not entirely unpleasant -- piece of escapism for adults. ~ James Christopher Monger