Remember when the term “indie rock” meant something? From Dischord Records bands like Rites of Spring and Fugazi to 1990s lo-fi staples like Pavement and Elliott Smith, indie rock used to mean that a band maintained a certain aesthetic of raw, do-it-yourself production, and it meant that they released their records on independent record labels. Remember that? Yeah, neither do I. I’m 27 years old. I was raised on Nirvana and Pearl Jam, bands who eschewed independent labels for gigantic mainstream success. Nowadays, indie rock is a blanket term 
that can be applied to any number of types of bands and genres of music. That being said, Untied States is an indie rock band to the core. They are signed to relatively unknown indie label Distile Records, and their sound harkens back to a laundry list of well-respected Dischord bands (among many other bands too numerous to list) yet they still cover enough new territory to sound fresh and exciting.
I must admit that upon receipt of this album, I was instantly skeptical based solely on the name of the band. Untied States? So, it’s like, you know, the United States, but like “untied,” like we’re a nation divided or something. Get it? (Wink, wink). Yeah, I get it. However, being the good little music reviewer that I am, I pushed these reservations aside and started listening. I was floored; these guys are GOOD. These guys are REALLY good. After the first thirty seconds, I wouldn’t have cared if they had called themselves The Flying Burrito Brothers. Wait, there’s already a band named The Flying Burrito Brothers? Jesus, never mind. On to the album at hand: Instant Everything and Constant Nothing.
From the opening track “Gorilla the Bull,” this is a relentless, driving record that demands attention and doesn’t let go. It’s difficult to focus on certain tracks, and in this instance, that’s a good thing. Never mundane or repetitive, this is an album in the truest sense of the word. The songs flow into one another organically, and although each piece is unique enough to be memorable, the whole is certainly greater than the sum of its parts. The bass guitar on this record is an electronic yet throaty thump that pulses through each track, providing consistency and cohesion. Steady verse parts often explode unexpectedly into reckless but well-orchestrated dissonance, and the song structures are as varied as they are unusual. All of this may seem a bit formulaic without having listened to it (I could have written the same review up to this point for my favorite Blood Brothers album), but this is most certainly not such a record. The vocals stand out quite markedly from other bands of a similar ilk; you won’t find any hardcore-punk shouting or pop-punk melodies on this album (and certainly no Blood Brothers screeching). Instead, expect to hear strange and ethereal singing often hidden (but not buried) under dense electronics. Colin Arnstein’s voice is haunting and familiar (with shades of Tim Kasher of Cursive fame), but his voice is decidedly his own. The heavy electronic foundation on which these songs are built is also a separating factor which will help this band stand out from the crowd. Many bands have attempted to fuse together their love of digitally produced sounds with garage band gusto; few bands that I’ve heard have done so with such complete disregard for either camp. I can just hear the band members now: “Too electronic for ‘true’ punk fans? Who cares! Too noisy and aggressive for the masses? Who cares!” Untied States seem to be making the music that they want to make, and that’s just fine with me.
Track Listing:
- 1. Gorilla the Bull
2. Not Fences, Mere Masks
3. Unsilvered Mirrors
4. Grey Tangerines
5. These Dead Birds
6. Take Time for Always
7. Bye Bye Bi-Polar
8. Wrestling With Entropy in the Rehabbed Factory
9. Delusions Are Grander
10. Holding Up Walls
11. Kowtow Great Equalizer
Written By Marc G. Gray
