The Aislers Set

1998's Terrible Things Happen established The Aislers Set as a great new pop band to keep an eye on. Considered by many to be an unsung classic, that album's perfect synthesis of 60s mod-pop, 70s punk and 80s/90s indie flavors provided an end-of-the-century summation of where pop had been and where it was heading. What really set it apart was the stellar songwriting and arranging of Amy Linton, whose studio acumen was compared to Phil Spector more than once.

Their new album, The Last Match, ups the ante even farther. More ambitious in conception, The Last Match expands the blueprint into more orchestral areas. While the songs are still driving and catchy as a fish hook, the arrangements are far more sophisticated. The instrumentation has been augmented by a full-time organ player and various horns, giving the tunes the timeless feel of classic groups like the early Bee Gees, the Zombies and The Millenium.

It's a brilliant exercise in pop science that easily skirts the retro copyism of many 60s disciples through the sheer power of the song-writing and the originality of the ideas. Tracks like "The Last Match" and "Bang Bang Bang" are bold new benchmarks, their influences being completely subsumed into Amy's distinctive vision. The band's other songwriter, Wyatt, also does himself proud with his contributions, especially the plaintive "Lonely Side of Town."

Still preferring to record in the garage where they are allowed unlimited time for experimentation, the band has had no problem crafting an amazing sounding album that could have sprung fully-formed from the hallowed studios of Gold Star. This is no murky lo-fi production, but a fully-rounded and rich-sounding recording with a warm, analog sound.

Between the peerless songs, the clever arranging and the ingenius production, The Last Match is a golden moment for fans of pop of all flavors that cements the band's reputation as one of the key pop bands out there.