The American Analog Set: Set Free
Morr Music

Ten years into its career, the Austin quintet American Analog Set issues Set Free, its sixth full-length and first on Morr Music—not the first appearance on the label for AAS member Andrew Kenny, by the way, as he joined Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie, Postal Service) earlier this year on the Home EP and added vocals to “Front to Back” on Styrofoam's Nothing Lost. Recorded over the course of a year in five different locations (living rooms, bedrooms, and—apparently the first time ever—a recording studio), Set Free upholds a thematic connection to 2001's Know By Heart and 2003's The Promise of Love which explored the myriad travails of falling in and out of love.

It behooves me to report, however, that Set Free is a merely pleasant addition to the Morr catalogue—not a bad recording by any stretch but hardly a label standout. That's not on account of the recording's relaxed feel—music needn't be intense or aggressive to make a lasting impression—nor is it due to its basic folk-pop style; while it's hardly innovative, that classic sound will never be entirely out of fashion. The performances are competent, there's a suitable degree of contrast in the instrumentation (vibes, melodica, and sleigh bells in addition to the usual acoustic and electric guitars, drums, etc.), and Andrew Kenny's silken vocals are appealing too (especially in the locomotive chug of “First of Four” and the swinging psychedelia of “The Green Green Grass”). So what's not to like? While the album floats along decently enough, perhaps only half of its twelve songs generate strong melodic heat. Two that do are “Cool Kids Keep,” with its grimy fuzz guitar and melodic vocal hooks, and the wistful ballad “She's Half”; two that don't are “JR,” which teases the listener with the promise of an aggressive crunch that never comes, and the similarly plodding “Play Hurt.” Some listeners may echo the sentiment of the closer's “Fuck This...I'm Leaving” title when Set Free ends.

September 2005