Set on 7 are an indie rock band from Fort Wayne comprised of brothers Jon and Dan Benson along with childhood friend John Moore. Their debut album, Stack the Deck, is a solid album that offers up a little something for everyone. Opening the disc with “House of Cards,” reminiscent of something Hootie and the Blowfish might have done in their prime, Set on 7 serve notice this is going to be an album worth paying attention to. The second song, “Bad Cop,” changes the flow with its reggae-type beat and eclectic guitar, while “Treason” goes a completely different way, offering a heart on the sleeve love song that changes the pace of the album once again. Easily one of the album’s best tracks, “Treason” is a hit song waiting to be discovered and would fit well alongside just about anything you hear on Top 40 radio today.
Besides “Treason, other standout tracks include “Hey Chicago,” a folk song that sounds like a cross between Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills and Nash, and “27,” a dark song with a Jeff Buckley influence and a haunting guitar and vocal.
Throughout Stack the Deck, Set on 7 display a myriad of influences and styles of music. Though more often than not albums like this often lose direction, Set on 7 are able to bring all of those influences and styles together nicely to form a very cohesive album chock full of introspective lyrics and radio-friendly grooves. This CD will undoubtedly make many local CD “Best of 2012” lists, and the band is a challenger for new band of the year.