Pujol

Daniel Pujol's latest release continues on his prolific and exciting trajectory of '60s-infused power-pop. United States of Being is laden with aggravated hooks and exciting anthems like "Made of Money." Pujol has a talent for writing songs that appear to be simplistic, yet tracks like "Endless Mike" display Pujol's soft side, as its sweeping guitar melody lays itself over a basic layer of percussion and tape static. The delicate moments on United States of Being are some of the best, but they are quite limited ― the overly aggressive production and song structures become quite grating in comparison. The major shortcoming of the album is its one-dimensional tendency. The unbalanced nature of United States of Being doesn't make it a completely unsatisfying album, as Pujol often capitalizes on his strongest attributes: swagger, passion and confidence.