American Analog Set are a predictable band. Buzzy organs, neo-motorik drum parts played with brushes, breathy vocals, guitars that riff so subtly they almost register subconsciously, Rhodes piano, occasional vibraphone-- these have been their hallmarks since the start, now incredibly more than 10 years ago.
There has been gradual progress in the AmAnSet sound over the last decade as the songs slowly grew shorter, the rhythm section got a little spritelier, the compositions a little more focused. The most important thing about their sound, though, is that it's a genuine signature-- no one else really sounds like this, and their dogged consistency drives home how unique they are. Set Free is the band's sixth album, and if you're waiting for me to describe it, I already did in the first paragraph. This sounds pretty much like all the stuff that came before it, especially Know By Heart, but the strength of the material is decidedly more mixed.
Opener "Born on the Cusp" is as fine a track as AmAnSet have recorded, kicking in with shy falsetto vocals, brushed snare on two and four, and a little Rhodes lapping at the edges. There's a little Motown-ish riff after the verse, and the band does a great job of building points of tension and crescendo in the arrangement through subtle manipulations of volume and density. Later, they almost rock on "The Green Green Grass", mixing in some backward guitar and very nearly distorting the rhythm guitar, but they follow quickly on with "First of Four", a speedy track that slides right back into their understatement comfort zone. These songs stand out simply for being the catchiest of the lot.
There are a few that don't fare as well-- "She's Half" is something of a departure for the band, a mostly acoustic song that overuses an echo effect while pedaling in place. The middle of the album is indeed problematic, ebbing too far with three slow tracks that get boring all sequenced in a row like they are. And closer "Fuck This...I'm Leaving" is about as graceful as its title, lacking the rhythmic sinew that makes their best material so captivating.
AmAnSet try some new textures, such as the melodica that lends a slightly sinister vibe to "(Theme From) Everything Ends", but there's nothing revelatory in the band's minor experiments, and certainly nothing that could be called a new direction. Newcomers should head to From Our Living Room to Yours or Know By Heart to hear the AmAnSet at its best. As for fans, Set Free is ultimately just another American Analog Set album-- and probably the least essential at that.
