The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Return to the Seaneatly picks up where the originalLittle Mermaidsoundtrack left off. The opener, "Down to the Sea," is an uplifting anthem peppered with sweet-voiced musings from Ariel (Jodi Benson) about her aquatic hurdles and accomplishments. "Tip and Dash" is a feisty number by the title fish, transformed here into Titanic Tip and Daring Dash, who "dare dastards to put up their dukes" and warn barracudas that the duo's about to save the day. And "For a Moment," an affecting heart-warmer, is a mother-daughter duet about the grandness of the sea and what it means to be of the water. "For a moment," croons Ariel's daughter, Melody, gorgeously, "part of me is alive and at home in the sea/Life is cool as I'm asplash in the world's biggest pool." Her sole wish, though, is that her mother could watch her soar and shine. This record presents only one other original track, "Here on the Land and Sea," alongside four familiar favorites that fit comfortably with the mermaid theme. "Iko Iko," "Octopus's Garden," "Give a Little Love," and "Hot, Hot, Hot" are all performed by Samuel E. Wright (Little Mermaid's Sebastian), who deftly delivers each tune in his rich, island-reminiscent style. What's most enjoyable about this soundtrack is its brevity--it doesn't try too hard or reach too far, instead leaving listeners with a simple, pleasing reminder of the movie's uplifting message and clever, completely Disneyesque characters.--Tammy La Gorce