Pujol - United States of Being Review

For diehard/compulsive Third Man Records followers, a quarter of Nashville-based PUJOL’s United States of Being is nothing new, considering standout track “Black Rabbit” received the Blue Series treatment, and two others appeared on a Third Man Live EP in 2010. The context of an album and a deal with Saddle Creek breathes fresh life into ballad-like “Endless Mike” and pit-inducing “Mission from God”, though, and United States offers the best glimpse yet into frontman Daniel Pujol’s head. It’s a good place to be.
Listening to opener “DIY2K”, it would be easy to pigeonhole the record as a politically charged commentary on consumer society. This would be a misjudgment, as he insisted in an interview last year with CoS and explains in later parts of the album. The growling, near-shouting vocals offer thoughtful meditations on love, religion, and life–with dashes of wit and literary references sprinkled in for good measure. “Over-the-counter culture,” “my-deology,” and allusions to Robespierre are particularly entertaining, yet the deeper lyrical level that toys with captivity as an opportunity for freedom (“building up a cage, to keep us free”) is where the gold lies....full text Namesake frontman Daniel Pujol lives in a strange world, all the time. Whether in college, on tour, in between jobs, or writing a record, he is getting by and getting weird in Nashville, Tennessee. Pujol arose from the ashes of Meemaw in 2009 to carry on the Nashvillian ideals of DIY and self construction through adeptly crafted songs based firmly in meaningful lyrical content. It’s these motives and songs that have taken Pujol from the basements of Middle Tennessee to stages across the country and have garnered notice from more than just those with their ear to the ground.

Releasing a plethora of singles and cassettes over the past two years on Jack White’s Third Man Records, Nashville’s Infinity Cat Recordings and Turbo Time Records among others, Pujol has now partnered with Omaha’s Saddle Creek. Following the critically praised Nasty, Brutish, and Short EP from last year, Pujol finally has an official debut full-length ready for unveiling.

United States Of Being continues on with Pujol’s doctrine of trying hard everyday and ventures lyrically to a place that most contemporaries fail to reach. Addressing the current status of 20-somethings in America’s present and capturing their shared dispositions, the album throws the brakes on “catharsis,” and begs the listener to decide for themselves how to answer the question, “What is love?” ...full text For the past few years, Nashville's Daniel Pujol has cranked out scuzzy, catchy tracks that combine youthful energy with lyrical precociousness. Following last year's Nasty, Brutish, and Short EP, Pujol and his namesake band are back with their debut album, United States of Being. Opener "DIY2K" sets the pace, with Pujol's rough, gritty vocals relating his feel-good lifestyle, while "Providence" shimmers with power pop hooks and a slight dose of fuzz. Just like the Nashville DIY scene, United States of Being is loud, a little grimy and fun as hell. PUJOL might be growing up fast, but they're having the best time doing it.
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