Does anyone ever really set out to sound like another band? Probably. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or some such quote. Take The American Analog Set, for example. To draw a diagram of the influences and contemporaries of the band, you'd have to put it at the outside of an ever-growing spiral. Moving inward, you'd hit Stereolab, Galaxie 500, Spacemen 3, Opal, and ultimately, at the center of it all, the Velvet Underground. The music on The Fun of Watching Fireworks moves slowly and soporifically, with nary a jarring note or rude bit of loudness to disrupt the experience. Simple rhythms accompany lilting guitars, vintage keyboards, siren vocals, and the occasional flute. And God, is it ever amazing: The album was either written on drugs, for drugs, or both, but it can be enjoyed straight for a genuinely music-induced altered state. Rarely before has such clear and beautiful music created such a haze to try to think through.