*** The American Analog Set

THE GOLDEN BAND

(Emperor Jones)

On their third disc, American Analog Set have dropped another soft-focus mini-epic, delivered straight from their living room to ours. This is sublimely chilled-out music, coolly perfect for taking in a hazy summer sundown. Not quite slowcore (in the turtle-crawl vein of Low), not quite psychedelic (in the loaded, post-Velvets vein of Spiritualized), not quite space-age (in the post-everything vein of Stereolab), this band of home-recording mood merchants draw on all these elements, reconstituting them into something entirely their own. Demonstrating the kind of meticulous care with which they hand-emboss the sleeves of their 45s, AmAnSet augment the languid, snare- and organ-driven drone that marked their previous albums with decorative, subtly crucial touches, like vibes, electric piano, and cello. The beauty here is in the quiet details, like the rustle of fingers sliding along the frets of a guitar on "It's All About Us." A small "whoosh" becomes a crucial part of the rhythm, and even after it's stopped and the tune's unfolded into an expanse of pulsing organ and cymbal-brushed percussion, it keeps framing each measure in your head.

-- Jonathan Perry