mewithoutYou - Catch For Us The Foxes
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RIYL
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Tooth And NailTracklist
1 Torches Together2 January 1979
3 Tie Me Up! Untie Me!
4 Leaf
5 Disaster Tourism
6 Seven Sisters
7 The Soviet
8 Paper Hanger
9 My Exit, Unfair
10 Four Word Letter (Pt. Two)
11 Carousels
12 Son Of A Widow
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Music has the power to express emotion. There are times in life where words cannot express what is going on. Countless times I have used other people’s music, other people’s words to get my feelings across. I do not have that gift. Mewithoutyou has the uncanny ability to get their emotions, questions, and beliefs across through their songs and they do it more effectively than virtually any band around today.
“Catch For Us The Foxes” is the follow up to their breakthrough album “A-B Life,” which propelled them into the spotlight in early 2003. Their unique style of rock and roll set them apart from their contemporaries. There is no singing from the band. Vocalist Aaron Weiss does not sing in the sense that we would normally think. Instead he uses spoken words to deliver the verses and then uses something like a shout or a holler for the choruses. It’s not a scream so much, but a shriek, cutting to the center of your being. One listen and you will forever recognize the band.
While “A-B Life” was lyrically based in relationships, lending some of the most emotional lyrics I’ve ever heard, this new album is much deeper and far more personal. Weiss reveals his soul in a way that would make me very uncomfortable. He delves into issues such as suicide, normal earthly relationships as well as faith. He uses his lyrics for something other than verses and choruses for a song, they are almost open letters to himself for therapy, or a prayer. No matter what form they take they are brutally honest and his unique delivery adds to the power.
Musically, Mewithoutyou has no peers. Plain and simple they have a sound that is unique in every way. In almost every other band in the world the vocalist leads the band musically, but here the instruments carry the melodies. The beautiful, subtle instrumental melodies are accentuated by Weiss’ purposely abrasive vocals. The contrast of the two is what makes MWY so great. They encourage you to dig a little deeper for the melody and when you do find it, it is that much sweeter. In “Catch For Us The Foxes” the band, for the first time, does experiment with actual vocal melodies like in the single “January 1979.” The song starts out with the signature vocals and then something strange happens…A vocal melody is found. The chorus of “If I could be your servant,” stands out so much because it is actually sung. This song is the best on the record because it is so melodic, both in the vocal and instrumental realms.
The other thing that needs to be discussed about this record is the faith aspect. Tooth and Nail Records has always been known for its Christian leaning bands and MWY is definitely in that category. They speak of their faith in a way that is not at all “preachy.” Most of the time Weiss talks about his struggles to be the man and the Christian he wants to be, and that is something that strikes especially close to home for me. There are at points some very over the top references to God and spirituality, but it is done in a classy way.
“Catch For Us The Foxes” is the next step for Mewithoutyou, a band that is a few branches of the evolutionary tree ahead of the rest of the scene today. They combined elements of rock, jazz, hardcore, pop and psychodelia with the most brutally honest lyrics I have ever heard, forming something so totally unique and so different that is almost hard to grasp, but when you do, it will be hard to let go. This album challenged me both lyrically and musically and for that, they are to be commended.
JohnnyL
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