Seeing These United States after they released Crimes is sort of like being shot to your destination via catapult, and the inflight movie is Django. Both are excited, western-influenced adventures with absolutely no ability to stop once you get going.

MP3: These United States – Honor Amongst Thieves

One of my friends pretty much nailed what’s so weird about These United States. During their set, he turned to me and said “These guys just get tighter every time. Tighter and looser.” And it’s true. They’re all fantastic musicians who are never better than when they’re playing together as TUS. Robbie takes what would ordinarily be a throw-away drum section and turns it into a downright composition. Likewise, Robbie’s Scourge of the Sea bandmate Justin has never been more alive on the guitar than he is when playing These United States songs. He’s a dark horse candidate for best guitarist in Lexington. And Tom? Well, any band’s lucky to have a multi-instrumentalist like him. He sounded off expert licks on the guitar, bass and pedal steel like it was no big thing.

But the whole thing would be for nothing without Jesse and the album of which he lead the creation. Crimes sounds great, but it sounds even greater when Jesse’s singing it to you in a bar. And the guys finally played “Honor Amongst Thieves,” one of the year’s best songs.

More photos below…