U.S. Girls makes records that sound like they were recorded in a room full of people, even when there is only one person singing. In a Poem Unlimited is the band’s eighth album, and it trades the sharp pop hooks of earlier work for something darker, stranger and more layered. This is music built to be played loud in a room full of friends, not left on softly in the background.
The record runs 11 tracks and 37 minutes, and it moves from straight pop to spoken-word pieces to a seven-minute closer that feels like a mission statement. It is a dense, ambitious record that asks listeners to pay attention, and mostly it earns that demand.
Velvet 4 Sale Opens the Record
The title track opens the record with a driving rhythm and a vocal that cuts through the mix. It sets a tone of urgency, and the song’s lyrics carry a sense of warning, a feeling that danger is near. It is a strong start, and it tells listeners exactly what kind of record this is going to be.
Rage of Plastics and M.A.H. Carry the Middle
“Rage of Plastics” follows with a harder edge, built on a guitar riff that refuses to sit still. It is one of the more aggressive tracks on the record. “M.A.H.” slows things down, a brief instrumental interlude that serves as a breath before the record turns inward.
Why Do I Lose My Voice When I Have Something to Say Is the Shortest Track
At just 26 seconds, this track is a fragment rather than a full song. It is a spoken-word piece that cuts the album’s pace, and it works as a transition between the songs around it rather than a destination in itself.
Rosebud and Incidental Boogie Keep the Momentum
“Rosebud” picks things back up with a steady beat and a vocal that carries real weight. It is a solid track, though it does not reach the heights of the songs around it. “Incidental Boogie” is the record’s most playful moment, a dance track that refuses to take itself too seriously. It is a welcome break in the middle of a record that can feel heavy elsewhere.
L‐Over and Pearly Gates Turn the Record Toward the Dark
“L‐Over” is a slow-burning track that builds tension with a repeating bassline and a vocal that sounds exhausted. It is one of the best tracks on the record, and it shows the band working in a space they have not explored before. “Pearly Gates” continues that dark thread, a song about death and loss that lands with real force. Both tracks prove the band can handle heaviness without losing control.
Poem and Traviata Set Up the Close
“Poem” is a quieter track, a spoken-word piece that feels like a letter rather than a song. It is a strange fit next to the heavier material around it, but it works as a bridge to the record’s closer. “Traviata” is another short fragment, a 13-second piece that ends abruptly, leaving the listener waiting for more.
Time Closes the Record
The closer is a seven-minute track that stretches the record’s themes across its full length. It is a demanding listen, asking for patience and attention, but it pays off. It is the clearest statement of the record’s ideas, and it closes the album on a note of resolution rather than exhaustion.
The Verdict
In a Poem Unlimited is a record that rewards attention. Its shorter tracks, like “Why Do I Lose My Voice When I Have Something to Say,” are best understood as connective tissue rather than full songs, and some of the middle tracks, like “Rosebud,” are competent without being essential. But the stronger material — “Velvet 4 Sale,” “L‐Over,” “Pearly Gates” and the closer — is among the best work the band has put out.
This is a record about speaking up when the world tries to silence you, and it is a record about finding meaning in the spaces between songs. It is not an easy listen, and it is not meant to be. It is a demanding record that asks for your time, and it delivers something worth having.
“Why Do I Lose My Voice When I Have Something to Say”
The record earns its ambition through its strongest tracks.
- Velvet 4 Sale3:44
- Rage of Plastics4:28
- M.A.H.2:54
- Why Do I Lose My Voice When I Have Something to Say0:26
- Rosebud3:10
- Incidental Boogie3:23
- L‐Over4:06
- Pearly Gates4:02
- Poem3:31
- Traviata0:13
- Time7:49
