The American Analog Set: From Our Living Room To Yours

The American Analog Set's new album comes less than a year after its stunning debut, The Fun Of Watching Fireworks. Visually, there's continuity between the two, as both share similar design elements. Opening with a sampled bit of dialogue extolling "the fun of watching fireworks," From Our Living Room To Yours provides easy cognitive audio continuity as well. Musically, AmAnSet carries on the excellence of its first record: As with the work of Stereolab and Velvet Underground, a soothing haze falls over the listener as soon as the music starts, fueled by a sweet and shy voice, feathery keyboard sounds, and dipping guitar melodies. Each half of Living Room flows as if it were two long tracks instead of eight shorter ones, connected with tendrils of white sound or melodic components which seep and mutate from one song to the next. With its haunting, candy-coated sound, American Analog Set is easy to like. With its depth of feeling, it isn't much more difficult to love.