United Nations have been locked away for a few years now. Members have come and gone and we aren't even exactly sure which ones. In those four years though, they created music, and that music is finally available to the masses in the form of The Next Four Years. While it's being released as a new full length, it's fair to also call it a compilation album. Even the cover and title pay tribute to Black Flag's compilation, The First Four Years. What gives the release a pass, is that it's mostly made up of previously unreleased, although rumored, material.
United Nations did something special for this album. They released it across 3 forms of media: two 7-inches, a 10-inch, and a cassette. The idea behind that box set was that it made up the band's evolution from demo to what Geoff Rickly describes as their, "pretentious phase of trying to sound like Godspeed You! Black Emperor." With that mentality in mind while listening to the album, it can be an interesting listen. However, the standard release of the album doesn't play to the order and context it should be heard in.
The first 7-inch opens the record with the blistering power-violent, "Serious Business." The track is great except that so much gets lost in the blast-beats and sonic resonance. The screams are hardly audible, and just enough of the lead guitar bleeds out to please the listener. Despite the track's production, you can pick up on what's there and still appreciate it. "Meanwhile on Main Street" opens up with a bit more clarity. It's a predominately more mid-tempo track that still takes the time to get loud and break down some barriers. The verse keeps things rhythmic while chaos occasionally chimes in.
The second 7-inch is next. There's one interesting tweak about the record. The first track, "Revolutions at Varying Speeds" tells the listener more than just the title of a song. It's intended to be listened to just in that manner: either at 33RPM or 45RPM. One is your usual United Nations fast-paced aggressive sound. The other makes for a Doom-Metal record. Some may find it fun and others may not care, but it's worth giving it a listen both ways. The mix hasn't changed much between the two 7-inches. The second is a little easier to understand what's going on. "Between Two Mirrors" finds a good balance. The opening riff sticks through most of the track and then eventually takes it on a wild ride. It comes off as a gradual build up with a decent pay off.
The cassette portion, meant to be the demo, shows up in the later half of the album. The songs originally appeared on their, Illegal UN, tape from 2013. It's meant to be the band at their basic level. The tracks are short, sweet, and full of mayhem. "Stole the Past" is the strongest between the 3 tracks that make up this portion. There seems to be a vulnerability in the tone of the song that makes it's different from what has shown up on the album so far. Although this portion was to represent the band at the beginning, "United Nations vs. United Nations" shows them getting better and more creative.
The last portion of the record, the 10-inch, is where they get "pretentious." The first track, "F#A#$," in which the title feeds off the GY!BE joke, features a long post-rock jam in the middle. The transition from the screamo opening isn't jarring. They pull it off perfectly and the build up to the closing of the song is one of the best moments on the album. They end the record on a high note with, "Music for Changing Parties." Hell, even two high notes. One final surprise for the 10-inch release is, depending on where you drop the needle on the vinyl, the song will end differently.
So in the end, there are many ways to enjoy this release. The standard release may not have all the quirks, but the music itself is great no matter how you choose to listen to it. The production on some of the tracks make it hard to fully appreciate it though. The order of the songs doesn't damper the experience. Actually, the standard tracklist fits more with the fake mythology behind the release. The Next Four Years is one of the better albums or compilations of the year. Give it a listen!
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