The American Analog Set are never going to change. Like death, taxes, and Bob Hope, they are going to remain true: keyboard drones, motorik rhythms, breathy, blurred vocals, minimalistic guitar lines. Or so one would think from even a cursory examination of their career to date. With regard to their fifth full-length album, Promise of Love, it would be right to conclude they will always stay the same. And a little wrong, too. All the elements mentioned above are present. The album's opening track, "Continuous Hit Music," rides the same monotone beat and oscillating organ for a good three minutes before anything happens -- and when it does happen, it is a minute and a half of breathy vocals the likes of which are instantly familiar to anyone who has heard an American Analog Set record. Also routine is the practice of every song having a long instrumental passage where nothing much happens. So is the lack of interesting melodies. And yet, this impression would also be a little wrong, as there are some signs of change on Promise of Love. "Hard to Find" mixes an almost hip-hop beat into their drone-y sound; "The Hatist" has an almost funky beat, interesting clicky rhythm guitars, and nice male/female vocals (it is the best song on the record); the title track is a two-minute song with distorted quickly strummed guitars and an actual hard-charging tempo; and "Modern Drummer" has some sweetly sawing cellos. However, the changes are so minute and the record so unassuming and melody free that it is really hard to care about the band anymore. Their press release says to "let the American Analog Set be the soundtrack to your life." If that is the case, you need to get out more. Or at least listen to a band that isn't content to keep churning out the same basic album every two years. -- Tim Sendra
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