The American Analog Set - From Our Living Room To Yours Mp3

I've listened to this, and their first album hundreds of times by now. There is simply something magical captured here. Maybe it's too 'wussy' or 'sophomoric' or 'slow' for you. That's fine. Sleep, Rage Against The Machine, and Fu Manchu have got you covered if you're in need of something heavy from the same era. But for those of you feel-ers who maybe always thought you should like shoegaze but couldn't because most of it was boring as hell, do good and check this plate out. Equally dreamy and hypnotic as "Fireworks" but a little bit more focused and lush.

It’s easy to say that American Analog Set rolls on aimlessly, like ghosts in an old house, never sure of what they’re looking for, but who’s presence is felt in odd little ways, then disappearing as soon as I try to hold an image. While the reality is that their music is not so much illusive, but rather untouchable, like moonlight dancing on water ... there, but not there, ever shifting as the stream flows on.

From Our Living Room To Yours is the second release from this ‘slow drive’ band, a band who in 1997 could not help but be touched by the music of Galaxie 500; though they bend their strings in a much quieter manner, with the vocalization being nothing more than a whisper, riding in from the edges, as if heard from down the hall, or a half opened door. There are also hints of the mystical sounds The Church laid down on their epic release Somewhere, Anywhere; but that nod in no way takes anything away from the beauty of this album. If there’s anything to be taken away, it’s done so by the band, where they use a few rather tired and worn trippy elements [ah la Pink Floyd] at the beginning and end of several tracks ... though a quick run through your music program can eliminate these, creating a nearly flawless body of work.

As with all of the albums by American Analog Set, this release should be taken as a whole, and not as separate songs ... though to that end I’ve created stunning playlists using many of the tracks mixed in with other music of this flavor; leaving me free, to silently float like a transparent ghost though my home.

Review by Jenell Kesler

This is my favourite of The Amanset's albums. One of the earlier ones, back when they were still underpolished and as quiet as they wanted to be. Magnificent Seventies starts it off on the right foot, and it all just builds to my favourite song, Two Way Diamond II, which is the gentle climax for me. Don't Wake Me makes it seem like the whole album was a dream, and makes me not want it to end. This album means so much to me that I have even used it for public presentations.

And now for a few review stereotypes: If this is your first time listening to Amanset, this is a fine album to start with. In my personal opinion, it's also better than their later work like Set Free. This is just because Living Room doesn't have the polished feel that Set Free does.

But again, this is my favourite album by The American Analog Set, and might have been the best thing to come out of 1997 (in my opinion).