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Akron/Family Stays Busy and Balanced

Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free trudges on through a plethora of sound.

Akron Family

Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free

Released on May 05, 2009

Sure to keep you on your toes, Akron/Family’s fourth album, Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free is consistently inconsistent.   After losing former vocalist Ryan Vanderhoof, A/F has kept their jam band tendencies, and prove they’re still capable of creating solid, interesting songs. With each song possessing a distinct sound of its own, this album is an adventure in tempo, style and genre, all played out through often exciting instrument combinations.   

My only qualm with this album is embedded in my initial attraction to the band.  They are a wildly fun band, and while this keeps things moving, they often don’t stay in one place long enough to create a lasting impression.  The soothing, Arcade Fire-esque “River” would make a nice addition to any rainy day mix tape, but when followed by a spacey track like “Creatures,” I’m left with more confusion than satisfaction.   Their overuse of group chants and low vocal mixing in many of the tracks makes it seem as though they are not fully confident in their vocals without Vanderhoof’s input.   

With an introduction centered on a percussive guitar accompanied by pots and pans, the first track, “Everyone Is Guilty,” is all over the place musically.  Ridden with tempo changes, tribal sounding chants, and restless guitar riffs, all mashed together before going into an all out guitar solo followed by a finale of horns and strings, it left me too aghast to even figure out what they were talking about on my first take.   

Following such a hectic performance, “River” seems worlds away.  It’s simple, poetic lyrics in combination with a rustic arrangement of guitar, percussion, horns, and several unidentifiable instruments; it’s an echoic cleanser.  But A/F doesn’t jump right back into chaos so soon after this break; the trend continues in songs like “The Alps & Their Orange Evergreen.”  Its simple acoustic guitar and harmonica expound a serene folk masterpiece.   

“Set ‘Em Free” sounds more like a Fountains of Wayne rip than anything.  For a second you’d think they spliced in a mediocre bluegrass introduction, but that soon fades into a rather dragging bit of singing.  For being the namesake of Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free, it is surprisingly neither wild nor adventurous.     

“MBF” is where things get turned upside down.  The gritty, melodic sound of what may have just been a recorded jam session, denounces the predominantly folk sound of the rest of the album.  While pretty average as far as instrumental noise-rock goes, it wouldn’t stand out at all if it weren’t inserted in such a clashing style, it isn’t even surprising in the way it’s presented, it’s just annoying and unappealing.   

While Akron/Family are surely talented musicians, this album doesn’t reflect their greatest song writing abilities.  There are a few standout gems among the bunch, but most of the songs start getting boring before too long, and the most surprising songs don’t fit in with the rest of the album at all.  It seems like they may as well be two different bands the way their music separates into almost two completely different styles, and while both of these styles has its positive, they do each other no justice being presented together.   

Posted by Andrew Scott on Jun 11, 2009 @ 6:30 am