Tuesday's Recommended Release

Ahhh it's the last week of summer! Kids are heading back to school, folks are ending their vacations, things are returning to the normal ebb and flow of the cooler months, and most importantly this is the last weakened release week for quite some time! Yeah there's not too many records to spotlight this year so I guess I will turn my intentions to an old favorite that aren't exactly releasing their magnum opus.

A few years ago my friends in Jukebox the Ghost told me to take a listen to their fellow D.C. band These United States. I did and what I found was a mellow band that were making some fairly accessible alt-country. It was Wilco lite but it was far from offensive to the ear and a lot better then half the crap that comes across my desk so I checked them out a couple of times and have enjoyed them sporadically. Now the band is releasing their third album in the last 18-months, and in their effort to stay in the spotlight they have sort of watered down their sound just a bit.

Everything Touches Everything definitely fits in with the style These United States have already established though, it keeps the beat and familiar twangs that have become associated with the band. But as much as it explores their normal sound it also may be the best produced record they've put out so far and I'm sure a lot of that has to do with their determined work ethic. Unfortunately as good as the production and instrumentation is on the record it is still that same soupy, alt-country that has come to be known as a dirty word in the music industry.

I wish the news were better, these guys are thoroughly likable and do put on a pretty solid live show, but overall I doubt they will ever evolve past the band they are now though I could be way off on that hypothesis. Now realize that this is my "recommendation" for the week and will realize the true weakness of the week's musical releases. In all honesty you should probably just be saving your dollars for the fat weeks that are coming real soon.
These United States - "I Want You To Keep Everything"
These United States - "Everything Touches Everything"
These United States - "The Important Thing"
Everything Touches Everything