The Jolly Pops is apparently a dad supergroup from Minnesota who make children’s songs. They recently released We Are Happy Dads which they say will appeal to preschool and elementary-aged kids. I thought about this while listening and asked what about it might appeal more to a young kid and in all honestly it was a tricky question.
The hooks aren’t much different than a “regular song” and the lyrics are arguably a little more apt for kids as it sometimes describes some of their daily activities and sometimes not. Either way the album is all over the place stylistically. Some styles were more enjoyable than others for me as I was trying to vicariously listen with younger ears. I suggest they don’t attempt hip-hop ever again. That being said I found the country/swing vibes of “Triangle Texas Swing” delightful. Almost all of the songs feel slightly cheesy in that “Disney” and “Barney the purple dinosaur” type of way which I suppose is quite common and maybe even standard for some reason in children's songs. The album starts with “Bouncy House” which felt like a certified kid’s song and a highlight. It felt like theatrical performances could go along with “Bouncy House” and I could picture kids going kind of nuts on this song. Up next is “Picnic Place” which is about having a picnic. It’s a catchy song with lyrics which I guess are more interesting to kids. Let’s just say I was getting perturbed while going slightly mad with every passing minute of “Coo Coo Crazy Nutz.” I didn’t even know what this song was about. “Spinning Rims on the Minivan” felt odd for a number of reasons. They attempt an early Beck Odelay era type of style. The subject seemed a bit obscure for really young kids to care or even sing about. “I Brush My Teeth” is basically a cover of “I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers while “Please Put Your Shoes On” decides to approach the angle of the frustrated dad who can’t make his kid do what he wants to and goes “bonkers” because he doesn't have good control over his emotions. “Candy Grammy” was one of the highlights. The song is easier to appreciate as an adult. The violin sounds great and is actually one of the better written songs and a style that the musicians excel at. As the album progresses there are some styles which stood out. “Voy a Comerte,” “No More Cookies” and “I’ll Carry You” were standouts. The style of each song is so distinct that there is very little foundation to the music besides it's all supposed to be geared for kids. I’m not sure if that's a good or bad thing and in this case maybe it's neither. We Are Happy Dads is an album that I think a lot of younger children would appreciate. On that note my kids also love Led Zeppelin. They could love both.
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