MewithoutYou takes step in right direction
Published Sept. 29, 2006
It's hard to pinpoint mewithoutYou. With its past releases, the band forged a sincerely individualistic sound with lyrics that forced themselves in and musicianship that was as creative and strange as Salvador Dali's visual landscapes.
After two solid albums, mewithoutYou has figured out exactly what kind of band it is on its latest release Brother, Sister.
Somehow this mess makes sense.
What's most surprising is lead vocalist Aaron Weiss' transition from a frantic poet bellowing religious commentary into a more controlled and proper singer. Sure, he still hollers and shouts ("Wolf I Am! (And Shadow)"), but overall there's much less urgency in his delivery throughout Brother, Sister. For a guy known throughout the indie world for throwing around dirt and flowers onstage, this marks a big change.
When it comes to Weiss' lyrics, things have always been tricky. These days his lyrics are slightly more straightforward, even in the mess of Biblical references and strikingly more personal ("I'm still practically a virgin after 27 years/ but it's never bothered me before.")
The opening track "Messes of Men" transitions remarkably well from a somber poetry reading over the sound of falling rain to a chugging country beat, complete with acoustic guitars.
Unfortunately, mewithoutYou's foray into the mellow side with the three tracks "Yellow Spider," "Orange Spider" and "Brownish Spider" only breaks up the overall flow of the album. These nursery rhyme-esque songs provide a certain level of interesting instrumentation (accordion, trumpet and harp respectively) not found on many other tracks but can easily be passed over for the more exciting material.
This is a rhythm-based record by all means. Bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Richard Mazzotta lead the charge on almost every track, and guitarists Michael Weiss and Christopher Kleinberg layer traditional mewithoutYou guitar lines on songs such as "O, Porcupine" and "In a Market Dimly Lit."
Guest vocalist Jeremy Enigk (Sunny Day Real Estate, The Fire Theft) blends his unique voice with Weiss' to create the best moments of Brother, Sister. "The Dryness and the Rain" and "O, Porcupine" both sound like the glory days of Sunny Day with Enigk's passionate vocals over throbbing percussion and ghostly chanting.
Its ridiculously obvious title notwithstanding, "A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains" embodies classic mewithoutYou complete with menacing vocals and shifting dynamics.
The musicianship and lyrics take a backseat to the production work in the vocal department. Besides Weiss' progress, the album's pervasive group vocals sound perfect and add so much detail.
"In a Sweater Poorly Knit," the album closer, shifts charmingly between what sounds like a seafaring song and a Spanish bullfight anthem before concluding with a tranquil harp accompaniment.
Brother, Sister seems to be a step in the right (if already somewhat paved) direction for mewithoutYou. The band has dropped the spontaneity and wanderlust of its debut [A --> B] Life, trading in chaotic variation in style for a more defined role in its musical niché.
Artist: mewithoutYou
Album: Brother, Sister
Genre: Post-rock
Record Label: TNL
Release Date: Sept. 26
Most Listenworthy Track: 'The Dryness and the Rain'
Rating: 3.5 out of 5Ms
