The Aislers Set
The Last Match
Slumberland
Maybe you shouldn’t have gone out, not on a weeknight. And maybe going out would have been alright, if you hadn’t ingested all those recreational substances. And maybe that would have been OK, too, if you hadn’t prolonged things until the first lightening in the east horizon told you how late (or early) it really was. Now it’s forty-five minutes after you collapsed in your bed, and the clock radio is blaring some oldies station, trying to clear the muzzy residue from your braincase and not making much headway.
That is the sound of The Aislers Set, a sort of dreamlike representation of ’60s Motown and ’90s gentle pop. While “Chicago New York” could easily pass for a Belle and Sebastian track, with its soft-focus jangle and almost whispered vocals, The Aislers Set really often sound more like modern-day Phil Spector protegés, taking dense but catchy melodies and vocals and frothing them into something much lighter and brighter. Between the male and female vocals lies a tender core of devoted pop melody, sounding somewhat disconnected but clearly part of the Aisler Set experience. Very unique, but instantly understandable. Now get up, turn up the radio, have some coffee, and take it like a man.
Slumberland Records, Box 14731, Berkeley, CA 94712; http://www.dropbeat.com
