B-Side Guys

Protest music often walks a precarious tightrope between righteous indignation and self-serious preaching. On “Life is Easy,” Andy Frasco & The U.N. navigate this balance with remarkable dexterity, creating folk-based protest that delivers its message through winking humor rather than heavy-handed sermonizing.

The track opens with immediate acoustic momentum, establishing rhythmic drive that propels listeners through its satirical observations. This propulsive quality creates fascinating counterpoint to the title’s ironic declaration—life isn’t easy, of course, but perhaps our responses to its complications have become unnecessarily convoluted. This tension between musical forward motion and lyrical critique of modern chaos perfectly embodies the song’s thematic territory.

What elevates “Life is Easy” beyond standard folk protest fare is its impressive collaborative roster. Cosmic country guitarist Daniel Donato, Phish bassist Mike Gordon, and veteran songwriter Steve Poltz (known for his work with Jewel) each contribute distinctive elements while maintaining cohesive vision. The vocal harmonies deserve particular attention, transforming potentially bitter observations into communal sing-along—thereby embodying the community-building spirit at folk music’s core.

Lyrically, Frasco demonstrates impressive ability to convey complex critique through straightforward language. Lines like “They’re selling us the blood/While they’re all bleeding us” and “Depression on demand—and now it’s storable” deliver pointed commentary on consumerism and commodified emotion without sacrificing melodic accessibility. This lyrical approach makes the medicine go down considerably smoother, allowing listeners to engage with difficult topics through humor’s protective buffer.

Most compelling is how “Life is Easy” gradually reveals its sincerity beneath satirical surface. When Frasco explains the song encourages “turning off the news for a little bit and just enjoying life and stop fearing what we can’t control,” he articulates something profoundly necessary in our hyper-connected age—the radical act of selective disconnection. This philosophical perspective transforms what might initially seem like simple complaint into constructive alternative.

As precursor to Frasco’s upcoming tenth album “Growing Pains” (releasing May 23rd), “Life is Easy” suggests artist consciously evolving beyond the “crowd-surfing party guy in a bar band” reputation he references in press materials. The self-produced nature of the forthcoming album points toward increased artistic control, while collaborations like this demonstrate continued commitment to musical community.

Daniel Donato’s description of Frasco as possessing “the comedic audacity of Andrew Dice Clay, the minimalist profundity of Shel Silverstein, wrapped in a warm-hearted Mr. Rogers style demeanor tinged with psychedelic illumination” might initially seem hyperbolic, but “Life is Easy” makes compelling case for this multifaceted artistic identity—creating protest music that challenges without alienating, that critiques while still inviting listeners to go outside and “listen to the birds sing.”