THE FRESH BEAT BAND VOL 2.0: M

The first collection of music from the Fresh Beat Band introduced a precocious quartet of teenagers (although the show is aimed at a younger audience), and a set of songs that were better than the average for preteen pop. The second volume includes 25 songs, and while show creators Scott Kraft and Nadine van der Velde are still found among the writing credits, the sound is a little more varied than before. The usual simple singalongs are still around, but the songwriting is slightly more interesting, along with nods to fizzy synth pop of the Katy Perry variety. Highlights include the lone guest star feature, for Jason Mraz on "I'm Yours," plus the covers "We Got the Beat," "Letￃﾢ￢ﾂﾬ￢ﾄﾢs Get Loud," and "Twist and Shout." ~ John Bush, Rovi