Where before, it sounded like 2nd Grade were finding their way, on Easy Listening the band knows exactly where they want to be. Compared to their early releases, I would say every instrument is a bit bigger sounding and delivered with more confidence. The group has mastered the short under 2-minute song burst and here 2nd Grade pushes some of their own earlier work with a more concise focus and a mix of lo-fi and hi-fi styles that are easy to connect with and make you want to hear them again.įrom the Teenage Fanclub bounce and harmonies on “Strung Out On You,” complete with handclaps, to the upbeat hum on “Hung Up,” which would play nicely next to any Fountains Of Wayne track, 2nd Grade keep running ahead in this power pop groove. Musically and lyrically, Easy Listening is like a tribute record to some of the best in the genre that should bring to mind Teenage Fanclub, Big Star, Flamin’ Groovies and Guided By Voices. It was not unusual for easy listening instrumental singles to place on Billboard’s Hot 100, and many of them even topped the charts and became big sellers.Philadelphia’s 2nd Grade have returned with another fantastic dose of short burst power pop earworms on their third album Easy Listening. When folk, rock and roll and pop music dominated the charts, easy listening acts capitalized on them by arranging and recording covers of the biggest chart hits of the day to win a new generation of listeners. The genre enjoyed its biggest success during the 1950s through the 1970s.
Strings became more dominant during the 1940s and the 1950s when jazz and standard pop music acts began to incorporate them into their own material.
Unlike easy listening, which usually has no vocals or features only wordless vocals, orchestral pop music always consists of real songs, with intelligible lyrics.Įasy listening is usually tagged as “with strings.” The origins of easy listening trace back to the 1930s when strings were used in “sweet bands,” whose music became the popular sound during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Orchestral pop is pop music with an orchestral arrangement – it’s pop music with big, lush sounds. As the name implies, it is the Western approximation of native or indigenous music, usually that of the different regions such as Africa or the Caribbean. On the other hand, exotica features more unusual arrangements. Lounge music, for example, is meant to be enjoyed rather than as a background sound. However, some of these abovementioned genres bear no more than a modest and passing resemblance to easy listening. The term “easy listening” is interchangeable with other genres, such as: Perhaps it’s the chief benefit of easy listening: the music is relegated to the background, which can help you get through in your everyday tasks, from doing the homework to doing the laundry, or hobbies such as reading or knitting.
It is usually concentrated on melodies and lush, sumptuous arrangements.Īccording to Jackie Gleason, a master of easy listening music, the genre is a “musical wallpaper that should never be intrusive, but conducive.” That is true. That is the reason why music critics dismiss easy listening music as predictable and disposable.Įasy listening music encompasses instrumental recordings of hit songs, pop standards, folk and even rock songs.
Easy listening full#
A significant portion of easy listening music are instrumentals, although some easy listening numbers feature wordless vocals and even lyrics.īut unlike jazz or classical music, which demands the listener’s full attention, easy listening music slips into the background.
Have you encountered a piece of particular music on the radio – something that’s pleasant enough to the ears but not too intrusive to demand your attention? If that’s the kind of music you’ve heard, it may be classified as “easy listening.” What defines “easy listening” music?Įasy listening music is designed to be soothing, relaxing, and pleasing to the ears.
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