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The American Analog Set - Set Free |
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24 February 2006 |
The American Analog Set
Set Free – (Arts & Crafts)
 The last track here is called “Fuck This…I’m Leaving”, and it sure was tempting to do just that.
The American Analog Set’s latest entry into the Sominex® sweepstakes, Set Free, is such an easy record to not notice that I kept forgetting that I had the damn thing.
Loyalists may claim an unreasonable bias against this sort of thing, or that I’m just plain darn mean, but Set Free is a self-indulgent plodding piece of work that doesn’t offer anything dissimilar from the first bar of the opening “Born On The Cusp” through the remaining 11 tracks after it. When they do come close to “interesting” as on the cool rhythm of “Immaculate Heart 1” or the subdued power chords of “The Green Green Grass”, there’s always something reeling it back in as if The American Analog Set are terrified of displaying any passion.
Whether it’s the predictably breathy vocal, the steady never-ending shuffles, or the general overall repetition, Set Free is a perfect example of indie-rock’s current bout with lethargic indifference. Instead, we’re left to appreciate the irony of sleeper’s called “Fuck This…I’m Leaving” and linking songs called “Immaculate Heart 1” and “Immaculate Heart 2”. Uh, ok.
And therein lies the reason that it just doesn’t seem enough to play a more polite card and simply say, “Golly, it ain’t my ‘cup of tea’ but their faithful fans will love it!” or the equally light-weight “If you’re in the right kinda mood, it’s pretty darn good”. Simply, Set Free is as non-commital as they come.
Right back atcha.
2.0
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