Set Free

Austin, Texas’ American Analog Set has spent 10 years toiling behind the scenes of the rock ’n’ roll mainstream, and has been anointed indie rock royalty by way of a truly individual sound bolstered by wheezing organs, lazy vibes, acoustic strums, crisp snare work and sweet nuanced vocals so light they fuse with the air. Set Free successfully joins the band’s recent foray into pop song brevity (Know by Heart) with the pensive, protracted psychedelic excursions from their formative years (The Fun of Watching Fireworks, From Our Living Room to Yours). What makes A.A.S. a necessary listening experience is the members’ painstaking attention to the texture of sound. Every labored breath, brush across the snare and squeaking of fingers against guitar strings is radiantly, tangibly magnified. Admirably, The American Analog Set coaxes the beauty from their songs to move outside the swollen shadows of the listener’s heart; to physically stroke, caress and tear the skin wide open, revealing multi-layered lights blooming repeatedly.