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By Jim Duncan

You may have noticed a decided bias in this column toward "rockish" bands. The Promise Ring, Superchunk, the Mr. T Experience - these are rock bands. You wear earplugs when you see these bands play.

But sometimes you just have to say, "Darn it, I'm tired of wearing earplugs. I still want to be able to hear when I'm 40! What can I do?"

Well, fortunately for you, there's the American Analog Set. Extra-fortunately for you, they have a new record out called The Golden Band on Emperor Jones Records.

The Golden Band is the Texas-based band's third full-length, a gauzy, wispy offering of ephemeral dream-pop, floating around on a cushion of quiet guitars, vibraphone, piano, cello and various ambient additions. The tracks are all backed by subdued, unhurried percussion in just the right places. The songs tend to be shorter and tighter than on their previous records (The Fun of Watching Fireworks and From Our Living Room to Yours), with more of an emphasis on lyrical simplicity.

The record's overall effect, like all their albums, is languidly mesmerizing, but never boring. It's pleasant. It's calming. It makes you smile and close your eyes and nod your head ever so slightly. Aficionados of this sort of music should think of Low, Rex, Bedhead, and Idaho, with a more textured pop sound.

The best part of this record is easily the ambitious ten-minute four-part epic "New Drifters." Opening with drums and a sparse piano melody; introducing hushed vocals; guitar and organ in the second part; modifying the theme to a decrescendo guitar-based instrumental for the third part and trailing off into a short ambient drone for the ending. It's hypnotic and beautiful.

Unfortunately for you, you already missed their supporting tour for the record. I would've told you about it, but it was over the summer and I didn't have your new phone number. Sorry.Jim was at the show. It was great. You should've been there.