Late One Sunday: Bliss Out, Vol. 9

Released in conjunction with Darla Records' Bliss Out series, the American Analog Set's Late One Sunday & the Following Morning EP in many ways represents the band's most intriguing work yet, making a major move away from conventional songwriting toward even more abstract and enigmatic space-pop. "Late One Sunday," the first of the two epic tracks which make up the disc, is a hypnotic piece notable for its fractured spoken-word narrative and surprisingly hip-hop-flavored beat; the song is otherwise dominated by a typically spartan melody, which changes only imperceptibly over the course of its 13-minute running time. "The Following Morning" is a wholly unexpected excursion into ambient textures, and is heavily informed by Eastern musical traditions; utterly unlike anything else the group has created to date, it points the way toward unlimited new musical avenues for future releases to pursue.