The Persian instrumentation pops against such a lowkey backdrop. Amir Yaghmai of the Voidz plays the acoustic and electric saz throughout, letting it dance over the straightforward folk chords, and it’s a highlight of the album—on “Forgive Is to Know,” it melds beautifully with a violin part played by Paul Cartwright, adding a bold flourish to the meditative mood. And on “Back of a Truck,” the saz fits right into the country scenery, trading off licks with the electric guitar after Rostam describes listening to a Bob Dylan cassette while driving down I-94. In the press release, Rostam said that this blend of cultures provided the theme of American Stories : “Pushing the most Iranian elements right up against the most American ones brought me a certain kind of joy.” As the United States has escalated its attacks on Iran, there’s something pleasingly transgressive about bringing Iranian elements into such overtly Western music—so much so that the songs without Yaghmai’s playing seem a little subdued in…