Acclaimed kid music artist, Eric Herman, brings the party on his long-awaited 6th CD for kids and families, featuring incredibly upbeat and memorable tunes with really long names like "Can We Buy a New Car (So I Can Have a Balloon)?" and "The Strange and Mysterious Fate of Mister Teddy Bear." And in order to fit everything on the back of the CD case, Party Animal also includes short-named songs like "Alive." But regardless, there are some seriously fun and catchy songs here, including the above mentioned tracks, as well as the lead song, "Up All Night," which uses a 7/4 funk rhythm as a backdrop for a kid's excitement over staying up late on New Year's Eve. And inasmuch as a 43 yearold white guy with a blue shirt and yellow tie can be considered "funky," Herman definitely hits that mark on this album, with the Stevie Wonder inspired "A Million Ways to Play," and the quirky classic, "The Best Parts," which may answer the question of what The Beatles would have sounded like if they became a 70's funk band. As with his other albums, Eric Herman demonstrates his unique voice... musically, lyrically and sonically... within the greater children's music genre. Guest appearances on Party Animal include the beautifully brassy DidiPop singing delicious harmony vocals on "Can We Buy a New Car..." and Kindie darlings Recess Monkey and Caspar Babypants doing cameos for the odd and amusing "Be a Mime." Party Animal also showcases the songwriting talents of Herman's daughters, Becca and Evee, who respectively came up with the hooks for "Party at My House" and "Can We Buy a New Car..." when they were 7 and 5. Herman's long-time collaborator, Kenn Nesbitt, also inspired the appropriately frenetic "November First."