As an encore to his highly touted Rounder debut
Entering Marion (the title track to which is played most every summer weekend as a tribute to Cape-going travelers),
John Forster has assembled the family affair called
Helium. Mixing the musical sensibilities of
Tom Lehrer,
Mark Russell, and
Dr. Seuss with vocal hints of
Jerry Garcia and
Maurice Chevalier,
Forster takes listeners through a sometimes silly, often provoking voyage through the true EuroDisney, the New York road system, and the confused world of opera. Though the songs are simple and humorous, few could be considered "kiddie" songs. With topics ranging from safe but steamy and sporadic romance and homosexuals in the military to the ultimate farce -- the OJ trial --
Helium is ironically not an album to be taken lightly. ~ Matthew Robinson