The clock hadn't even struck 11 p.m. and I was struggling to keep my eyes open. While opener the Album Leaf churned out lovely, ambient music (melodic synths and metronomic drumming complemented by a slideshow of seasonal scenes projected onto the stage's backdrop), it nearly put the crowd to sleep.

American Analog Set took the stage right in the nick of time. Never known for its foot-stomping rock but rather for subtle, hypnotic pop on par with Stereolab and Yo La Tengo, the Texas band still managed to revive the dozing fans. In the course of its set, the group provoked toe-tapping, head-bobbing and, in the case of one over-enthusiastic fan, some serious finger gesticulation.

After the Album Leaf's exit, the crowd filled out both levels of the chilly North Star Bar, and with little fanfare, unassuming guitarist/vocalist Andrew Kenny and bandmates kicked off the set with the title track to last year's Promise Of Love. Ostensibly, this is one of AmAnSet's more dynamic numbers, with drummer Mark Smith's insistent beats propelling the melody. But paired with Kenny's whispered lyrics and fuzzed-out guitar chords, the emotional pitch never swelled beyond a restless calm. Other than a few isolated moments of inspiration, the tone of the show was subdued and muted.

Songs such as “The Postman” show what AmAnSet excels at: three-minute surges of sound that build in intensity, then crash to an abrupt conclusion. “The Hatist” brought a welcome shift from the group's signature soft-brush beat to a more staccato and concise percussion, but unfortunately, the vocals were so washed out there was no comprehending Kenny; he was merely another layer in the elaborate fabric of the melody.

Aside from Kenny muttering a few words to those in the front row, banter and small talk were absent from the performance. There was little interaction between the crowd and the band, with bassist Lee Gillespie turning his back to the room for most of the show. Kenny cracked a smile only a handful of times, and spent most of the gig hunched over his guitar, concentrating on the chords and coordinating his stiff dance moves with the beat.

The most animated musician in the group was Sean Ripple, who rocked the maracas and vibraphone on “Hard To Find” like a man possessed by demons. Ripple pulled double duty that night as the Album Leaf's drummer and AmAnSet's all-purpose percussionist. He unwittingly drew the crowd's interest away from the rest of the group as he played a kind of hide-and-seek game with the audience, ducking from view under the vibraphones when not involved in a song and popping up again like a jack-in-the-box when his services were needed.

When Kenny finally enunciated his plaintive lyrics, his voice was raspier than Billy Corgan's. The vibes and keyboard wove a simple musical pattern that crested with an echoing duet and an undeniable sense of warmth. Though rife with smart melodies and dense sonic layers, American Analog Set's performance simply wasn't compelling. It was as though someone had slipped the audience a warm glass of milk, which wouldn't be a bad thing had we had a mattress to fall back on