Pop music is a fickle and all-encompassing genre. With the liberal use of this label, there has become numerous facets of what is now considered a "pop" artist. From teen royalty King Justin Timberlake and Queen Britney Spears to the other end of the spectrum with Avril Lavigne and Pink, almost any type of music that is blessed with radio air play may thus be deemed pop (or in the least prefixed, i.e., pop-punk or pop-rock). Filed under the folky, singer/songwriter pop (see John Mayer) one is apt to find Easily Amused, the Canadian two-some.

The latest record by Easily Amused, entitled Simple Stuff is a staple in what is pop-rock. The male/female duo take turns sharing the mic, and the songs seem to alternate male/female lead vocals. Renee Lamoureux and Keith Macpherson are both powerful vocalists with the ability to harmonize perfectly. And keeping with this organic feel, there is little assistance in the music department by synthesizers, and somehow when they are utilized it seems to meld perfectly with the songs. Although the album remains almost consistently upbeat, there are a few tracks that seem more mellow like "Boys Don't Cry", which employs strings to emphasize the personal lyrics, "When your Grandad died/He held up his pride/Lived quite a while/You must do the same."

All in all, this is a great traditional pop record. Upbeat, happy, and actually some talent behind the record, I expect to be hearing Easily Amused on pop radio any day now. I seriously recommend this album to any fan of pop radio and artists such as John Mayer and Chantal Kreviazuk.

www.easilyamused.ca