New Drifters＜限定盤/White & Green Split Vinyl＞

90年代後半に盛り上がったポスト・ロックムーヴメントで、ダスター、アセトンと共にスラッカー・ロックの枠からポスト・ロックへ殴り込みをかけた伝説アメリカン・アナログ・セット。その姿勢を支えた初期3作品が5枚組アンソロジー盤『NEW DRIFTERS』として復活!

今回纏められたのは1996年作『THE FUN OF WATCHING FIREWORKS』、1997年作『FROM OUR LIVING ROOM TO YOURS』、1999年作『THE GOLDEN BAND』。いずれもEMPEROR JONES LABELからリリースされ、確実に人気を上げるステップとなっていきました。低予算、ヤル気無い風ヤル気満々、ポスト・ロック的アプローチとスラッカー・ロックの掟3箇条が揃った内容は、今聴いても色褪せていません!その中でも編集作業中に発掘された未発表曲"QUEEN OF HER OWN PARADE"、"YOU DON'T WANT ME TO ARRIVE, DO YOU?"の破壊力は、現代のUSインディでも通用する程。脱力の中から涙腺を刺激する音は今絶対に再評価されて欲しいです!

2023年に電撃再結成、新作『FOR FOREVER』発表と突如バンドが慌ただしくなった所に、名発掘請負人ことNUMEROからドロップされる本作。こちらも近年再評価されているダスター、アセトンと共に聴いてノスタルジー浸り&USインディへの影響を感じて震え上がりましょう。

In their earliest incarnation, the American Analog Set were the kind of group that could only exist in a college town, where cheap apartments were conducive to setting up home-recording gear and the bandmembers werent tied down by jobs that wouldnt allow them the time to endlessly experiment, hone a sound, and record cassette after cassettes worth of stuff. The members of the band used this freedom to perfect a very particular sound, one powered by Andrew Kennys plainspoken vocals, the groups spare, but never spartan, interplay, and the warm tones of a Farfisa organ. It was space age pop thanks to the clean lines and closeted emotions, experimental in that the songs werent tightly structured, and ultimately, a very innocent and tender take on the kind of slowcore perfected a few years earlier by Bedhead and Codeine. In other words, just the kind of indie rock band from the 1990s one might expect the Numero Group to want to help people rediscover. Their 2024 release New Drifters is a definitive and overdue compilation of the groups early output. Included are their three studio albums released on the Emperor Jones label -- 1996s The Fun of Watching Fireworks, 1997s From Our Living Room to Yours, and 1999s The Golden Band -- nearly all of the 2001 collection Through the 90s: Singles and Unreleased, and a handful of previously unreleased songs. Hearing the bands earliest singles and first two studio albums, its plain to see that they had hit on something magical. They tapped into a very American, very simple sound that was comforting and warm, while at the same time challenging the listener to give in to the meandering vistas of sound and infrequent hooks. By the time of The Golden Band, it seemed like the Set were weary of that challenge themselves and opted for a sound that was more traditionally indie and song-based. They still did a fine job of that, too, as the non-LP single from that era "The Only Living Boy Around" proves. Just getting the three albums and the single/rarities set back on the shelves was important enough; the addition of a raft of worthy unreleased songs makes it even more enticing. Two of the tracks are lengthy and blissfully directionless, others are dreamy and peacefully low-key, and the version here of "Mellow Fellow" -- which was previously found on Through the 90s -- really should have surfaced on a single, as its one of their most naggingly melodic songs. Numero has done the band and their fans, both old-school and new to them, a real service by getting this enchanting and singular segment of the AmAnSet discography back in circulation. ~ Tim Sendra