The easiest way to describe American Football is by using words such as "intricate," "clean," "bright," "pretty," "moody" and "emotional." But somewhere along the line, while listening to its self-titled, first full-length album, a handful of words can no longer adequately describes the band anymore.

It's not pop music. It won't get stuck in your head and you won't find yourself humming it in the shower. It is, however, pleasing to the ear and persuasive to the heart.

Each song encompasses a mood. Sometimes the moods even switch within a song like a manic-depressive ex-girlfriend — sometimes understanding and regretful, other times sad and depressed, then, all of a sudden, mad and resentful. Then it starts all over again. More often than not, singer/guitarist Mike Kinsella sounds like he is the one reeling from a broken relationship.

The band doesn't overuse the classic indie-rock "drums, bass and guitar" formula. It throws in trumpet, Wurlitzer organ and various percussion instruments to make the songs shine. The trumpet adds a soft, almost jazz-like texture to the music, while the Wurlitzer adds to the upbeat undertones of the record.

The songwriting on American Football's self-titled album is absolutely stunning. It sets the band apart from the processed, uninteresting alternative music currently getting attention. American Football never gets heavy or particularly aggressive. They can be loud without being obnoxious, which is rare coming from a punk-minded genre like emo.

Kinsella is a former member of Cap'n Jazz, the pioneering Chicago emo band from earlier this decade. After the band broke up, he went to college at the University of Illinois while helping his brother and former Cap'n Jazz bandmate Tim start the group Joan of Arc, who have amassed a large following in the emo scene.

American Football was started as a side-project two-and-a-half years ago. The band rarely plays live, but still, when it released its three-song CD EP last fall, the initial pressing sold out immediately. The underground buzz surrounding the band was baffling, even to the band members. But it is well-deserved, and American Football adds another notch to the Kinsella Brothers' collective belt of critically acclaimed and successful bands. This effort solidifies their status as the new underground cult-heroes.

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