AUGUST 2008 ONLINE EDITORIALS

Set Forth - EP

By Nathan Harper

Set Fort aren’t overproduced because that’s a term used when either the group is trying too hard to sound polished or the polish is forced onto them by their label. Instead, the band makes the most of its glossy sheen because that’s exactly what they’re supposed to sound like. They’re as unapologetically pop as it gets.

Their new EP, titled simply EP, has a level of studio lacquer on it thick enough to be visible from space, but the straight-ahead drumming, light-but-still-atmospheric guitars, smooth bass, and crisp piano lines all come though with a clarity usually reserved for Maroon 5 records rather than bands from Northern Colorado. Of course the CD was recorded at nationally renowned The Blasting Room, just off Laporte Ave, and rest assured every penny the band spent can be heard on this four song recording.

Just short of falsetto, Steve Melton’s vocals shines at the forefront of the mix, while the band blends pop with light-funk, the end product being a sort of late Stevie Wonder brand of pop/rock. And while some might deride Stevie’s later period as the time his funk left him, others will recall that it was also the time he was making platinum records. Are these boys destined for that? Well, approachability certainly isn’t their problem. A little more punch lyrically would be good - more specifics in their songs instead of just pronouns - but assuming they keep at it, there’s no reason to think they won’t be recording a hit LP next.