This Van Beuren cartoon shows that they are getting out of the era of synchronized cartoons -- much of the singing is decently matched to characters' mouth movements. However, the movie is definitely pre-code and excessively violent, with a lot of fighting, including the gang rumble that makes up much of the second half.
The first half is a collection of Tin Pan Alley songs about growing up poor: "A Shanty in Old Shanty Town", "The Bowery" and a couple others. The gags are about violence, including a couple of pictures hanging on the walls that slug each other. The characters are clearly influenced by the Fleischers, including the cat that sings like Helen Kane. Although the backgrounding is pretty good, this is a primitive cartoon for the era with few jokes.