QRO’s interview with Jesse Elliott
Photos of These United States at Louisville Waterfront in Louisville, KY on June 27th, 2012
Photos of These United States at Northside 2012 in Brooklyn, NY
Photos of These United States at The Bluebird in Bloomington, IN on May 24th, 2012
Photos of These United States at Webster Hall in New York, NY on April 17th, 2012
Photos of These United States at Northside 2010
Photos of These United States at SXSW 2010 in Austin, TX
QRO’s review of These United States at Mercury Lounge in New York, NY on November 20th, 2009
Photos of These United States at CMJ 2009 in New York, NY
Photos of These United States at Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn, NY on June 27th, 2009
Photos of These United States at Cake Shop in New York, NY on April 10th, 2008
Jesse Elliott’s (QRO interview) These United States had been putting out new albums at a pretty heady clip, with two in 2008 (A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gat To the Garden of Eden and Crimes – QRO review), and another two in 2009 & 2010 (Everything Touches Everything – QRO review – and What Lasts – QRO review), but just as they couldn’t quite keep up that pace (none in 2011), their arc of getting better & better couldn’t continue either, as What Lasts was the first T.U.S. record not better than the one before. So a relative break for the alt-country rock band was needed – and These United States is a welcome return.
That’s evident from opener "Dead & Gone", which has the country-grit up-step that’s found on the best T.U.S. pieces, and keeps up the energy on such other tracks as the more garage "Born Young", backswing "Maps", and especially the up-twang "So Sweet to be Back" – "Sweet to be Back" indeed. There’s also slow material, like the carry-twang "Let the River In", but it’s slow as T.U.S. knows how to do, with a wry/resigned/relaxed world-wise & -weary tone in "Miss Underground", "Two Gods", and "Vince". And the group brings some newer, more interesting elements to back-to-back "The Angel’s Share" and "The Park", the former a sad & distant storm a-comin’, the latter sad number about wanting the good times to never end.
QRO’s been touting the T.U.S. flag for a while, so we’re especially happy that the good times are so sweet to be back.
MP3 Stream: "The Park"
