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The Jolly Pops We Are Happy Dads Review by Gary Hill As anyone who has been around kids for any time will tell you, children love to listen to the same music over and over again. That's why it can be very important to find something that's entertaining for the adults, too. Well, this set fits that bill in style. There is a nice balance of sound here, along with some strong messages. All but the final track have kids joining in on the singing at various points, encouraging the children listening to get involved. This set will probably become a favorite with the children in your house, but you'll find plenty to enjoy here, too. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2018 Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Track by Track Review

Bouncy House Starting with just voice, this works out to a folk rock styled sound for the verse. After that first verse, this gets bouncy and more rocking. Horns add a lot to the piece. There is a shift to a cool jumping jazz movement. The tune has a number of twists and turns. It returns to different sections, and overall is a piece that will work pretty well for the grown-ups while creating a fun sing along (and jump along) experience for the kids.

Picnic Place More of a straight-ahead rocker, this has plenty of opportunities for the kids to get involved. It's another energetic and fun tune.

Coo Coo Crazy Nutz Here they take it into a hip hop groove. This is a fun tune about a younger sister.

Triangle Texas Swing This cut really is a Texas swing tune. It's another fun number. This time it's all about playing a triangle.

Spinning Rims on the Minivan Starting with the sound of an engine starting, this moves out to a cool hard rocking hip hop jam. This is actually meaty even from an adult listener's point of view. It really rocks. Of course, it will be a lot of fun for the kids, too.

I Brush My Teeth Catchy energetic rock is the order of business here. This is another particularly effective piece of music.

Please Put Your Shoes On This song is a fun little rocker, but not really a standout.

Candy Grammy All about the treats that a grandma loves to give the kids, this has some jazz and country swing built into it. The violin adds a lot, and the tune is just an entertaining and energetic piece.

I Am a Robot The electronic sounds that open this definitely feel robotic. The vocals are raps, turning it into hip hop directions. The chorus is more along the lines of something like Kraftwerk. Still, this is a fun story about a robot.

Minnesota Happy Day A bouncy and fun rock cut, this isn't a highlight of the set, but it's still quite effective.

Voy a Comerte As you might gather from the title, this song is in Spanish. The music has a distinctive Latin vibe to it. There are some cool horns and some great sounds built into the arrangement.

Minecraft Steve As much as kids love to play "Minecraft," this one should be a hit with that set. It's a fun little rocker that is quite cool.

No More Cookies This bouncy little number is part country music and part jazz. It's also so catchy. Who could imagine that running out of cookies could be this much fun?

Wait for the Walking Man A song about street crossing safety, this has a lot of alternative rock in the mix. While it's catchy and entertaining, it's not one of the best tunes here.

I’ll Carry You Essentially a country ballad, this is the slowest and mellowest number here. It's also the most serious. It's a nice bit of variety, but I'm not sure it's the best choice to end the disc. This is the one song on the set that doesn't really feel like a kids song so much as an evocative adult styled ballad.

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