There is something to rebranding, and then something altogether different about going so far left field that your roots are obscured by the overgrowth. And that's excatly what Street Corner Symphony has done on the group's latest release, Jukebox. You'd think that with a title like that, the recording would be a greatest hits collection of tracks from the group's long history from the founding days on NBC's The Sing-Off. But no, it's not that at all; it's more akin to a collection of mostly wholesome children's songs written by various members of the group and arranged by bassist extraordinaire Armand Hutton.

That's right: the country bad boys of yesterday are donning colorful suspenders and sneakers and singing songs titled Ode 2 Phone, Kindness is Timeless, and the line dance starter Street Corner Shuffle. And I'm pretty much digging what they are putting out. Think of the songs as a more childlike version of the latest Maybebop tune: catchy hooks, sometimes ridiculous lyrics, earnest emotion, and a sparkly sheen, and you'll be able to picture what SCS 2.0 is up to these days.

Some of the music is stellar, and all save one are originals. More about that non-original in a bit. The guys are strong songwriters in general and having to think of what would appeal to children and adults alike made them put their creative hats on for a bit longer to rise up to the challenge. Only rarely do any of the songs fall into hackneyed or overly clichéd territory. For the most part, there is a sense of honesty and fun that permeates the music and the storytelling. Even the so-so titular story-song Jukebox has its redeeming qualities. There is a bit of wonder that children experience coming into first contact with their parents' music-making machines, and parents are supposed to be able to provide the pathway into new and exciting endeavors — so spot on, fellas!

A lot of the music style has that funky soul quality fans are so familiar with from Unpractice Makes Perfect and Southern Autumn Nostalgia. I think that's why I'm so enamored with Kindness is Timeless, as it could easily fit on either of the previous releases and you wouldn't really know that it was a "children's" song. Same goes with Attitude of Gratitude and You Make Me Love, which are very adult-constructed songs. In fact, there seem to be elements of Carry That Weight by The Beatles in the chorus of Attitude of Gratitude, which is either brilliant subtext writing or a lucky coincidence evoked on the listener. So while the plink, plink arranging style traverses along, there is a lot of emotional depth underneath. Kudos all around. There are songs that don't make the grade quite as well. I love the opening of Ode 2 Phone, but there is shaky tuning throughout that makes it a bit lacking. And the aforementioned Shuffle is a bit too in-your-face about what this album is really all about.

But my favorite unfavorite has to be Atomic Dog. I'm not sure how well my cousin (no, I'm not kidding) or the brothers of Omega Psi Phi will take to turning this ode to male prowess and sexual proclivities into a literal Kidz Bop song. But it is also a bop, as the kids say these days. So I'm on the fence with this one. What knocks the score down as well is the fact that it is a minute too long. There is no reason in a recorded version for the hook to go on for as long as it does; it becomes incessantly droning after fifteen seconds and you just want the song to end. Hutton did add a cute button at the end, but I didn't care by the time I got to it.

If you've been a long-time fan of the group, this departure could be seen as a needed detour in the maturing journey of Street Corner Symphony and jump on board for the family-friendly ride. Otherwise, you may want to wait to see how the group circles back to its roots on the next release.

Featuring production by some of the best sound engineers around, Dave Sperandio and Ed Boyer, Street Corner Symphony presents a brilliant and dynamic album with Jukebox.

Jukebox and Be Brave showcase songwriting by group members Kaleb Jones and Armand Hutton. Taking into account the solo performances by Jones and Jeremy Lister, these tracks perfectly set the mood for the entire album. The only cover on this release, Atomic Dog is a group number that George Clinton (and you) need to hear immediately. The arranging and percussion work on Kindness Is Timeless feels at once energizing and hypnotic. Ode 2 Phone is a much welcomed change of pace from the previous four tracks. With both Kindness Is Timeless and Ode 2 Phone, Richie Lister shines through as a powerful lead vocalist.

Street Corner Shuffle is coming to a wedding dance floor near you. Another group track, this one fits very nicely between Ode 2 Phone and Attitude of Gratitude. Inspired songwriting, arranging, and performing abilities by Jeremy Lister combine on Attitude of Gratitude and the results are stunning. Just like Atomic Dog and Street Corner Shuffle, Swimming is a catchy group feature that will make you smile; these three tracks are my favorites. The vocal percussion by Maurice Staple throughout Jukebox is bouncy and clean.

You Make Me Love and Amazing Things are more sweet and heartfelt examples of mature songwriting by Hutton and Jones. Featuring Ruby Amanfu and Rachael Lampa, Amazing Things opens up a whole new palette of colors with female voices, resulting in some very satisfying moments. Goodnight, My Darling (It's Time To Sleep) is absolutely sublime and a track that I would love to hear performed live. Armand Hutton deserves special attention on this album. Credited with arranging and/or writing every single song on Jukebox, his arrangements are each so wonderfully unique and imaginitive.

Jukebox is another shining example of original songwriting by a group with seemingly boundless talent. Street Corner Symphony is performing at the very top level of popular vocal music today and they deserve our love and attention.

Street Corner Symphony, darlings of The Sing-Off Season 2 and worldwide audiences since, endeavor to reach a new demographic with this album geared toward children. I previously wrote about the effectiveness and clever simplicity of the title track, Jukebox, and the full album delivers a lot more of the same: a strong groove, positive, digestible messaging, and original compositions teeming with joy.

Nearly every song was written by the members of the group, with Armand Hutton in particular wearing a number of hats aptly deserving of praise, including vocals, composition, production, and arranging. The songs have a timeless, soulful feel in addition to being well-constructed musically and consummable for children and parents alike. A number of songs, including Kindness is Timeless, Street Corner Shuffle, and Swimming prominently feature the flat-seventh scale degree, creating a signature modality and further unifying the album. Perhaps there is no better example of the group's cleverness than writing an original line dance in Street Corner Shuffle, with fun dance sections just short enough to be excerptable for, say ... TikTok? Brilliant.

The overall flow of Jukebox is also quite seamless: any moment in which energy seems as though it's about to crest, such as Be Brave, Ode 2 Phone, and Attitude of Gratitude, is immediately followed up with a high-energy track more about inspiring movement than thought. Atomic Dog features canine vocal percussion, riff harmonies, and funky distortions. Swimming is, essentially, west coast surfing music with its grooving bass lines under unresolved dominant seventh chords. There are so many moments and elements to love throughout the album, and even better that they are strung together well.

That said, there are elements that feel like a bit of a miss, some of which perhaps owing to the group's new foray into the children's music world. Chief among them are the lyrics of Ode 2 Phone, the messaging of which is unclear. It feels as though it was written by an adult, and the melodrama combined with unrelatability almost takes a mocking tone. Musically it's quite good, but the lyrics create somewhat of a dissonance: who is it for? What is it for? It's one of the only times in this largely joyful album in which I found myself overthinking. In later tracks such as You Make Me Love and Amazing Things, there is an overemphasis on subdividing percussively, which begins to feel incessant in ballads.

Evoking nostalgia vibes, the positive messaging in Jukebox is a great way to kick off a new year. Street Corner Symphony's venture into a children's album should certainly not be limited in its demographic; children, adults, and anyone with a penchant for joy should give this album a spin.