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The American Analog Set - Know by Heart
- The American Analog Set’s “Know by Heart” album perfected the wave of acoustic rock that hit around the beginning of the 21st century. It draws from their mellow, psychedelic sound prior to this album, but refines it and wastes no time on indulgences. The songs are simple and mellow. Much of the album features a combination of electric guitar and vibraphones, giving the songs a slightly dreamy feel. But, at the core, “Know by Heart” is psychedelic acoustic guitar pop at its most fluid and least contrived.
“Punk as Fuck” opens the album and gives a good representation of the album’s feel; the drums are brushed and bouncy, the acoustic guitar fills the spaces, and the vibraphone colors it in. “The Only One” is more of a rocker in comparison but the keyboards and Andrew Kenny’s hushed vocals keep the song mellow. “The Postman” is a strange character narrative song about a postman’s observations of those to whom he delivers, and features some of the album’s most endearing rhythms and vocals. “Choir Vandals” is an intimate song with a mellow but still exciting drum break. “Gone to Earth” is a rehashing of an older song. The version on “Know by Heart” is perfect, given the lyrical themes of isolation and distance. Subdued guitars and spacey, reverberant keyboards and vibraphones make this track both familiar and evokes a barely intangible emotion. “The Kindness of Strangers” again draws on the band's strengths with its simple, brushed beat and loungy sound. “Aaron & Maria” is the band's most pop-oriented track about two lovers with oddly cynical and off-kilter lyrics. The album’s final track, “We’re Computerizing and We Just Don’t Need You Anymore,” is mostly instrumental and is more representative of their earlier work with its lush, layered keyboards and repeating guitar runs.
“Know By Heart” is a very mellow album and won’t get your blood pumping. Instead, listen to it while lounging around on a summer day or lying in bed. It is an intimate collection of songs that will work its way into your consciousness starting with the first listen, but continues to grow with each subsequent one as well.
Reviewer: Kris Lorenz
new
Reviewer's Rating: 8.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 4-Jul-2009
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