mewithoutYou is one of those bands that do an amazing job at polarizing their listeners: you either love them or you hate them. In the two years since this Philadelphia rock outfit released their debut record, [A-->B] Life, adamant supporters have lauded Aaron Weiss' spoken/shouted poetry as an astounding artistic innovation, while the equally adamant dissenters have written them off as random shouting against a backdrop of pretentious art-core. But regardless of how you felt about their past release, it is impossible to deny the impact that they have already managed to make in the music scene during their short existence. Similarly, it is impossible to overlook the musical growth and the stunning maturity displayed in their sophomore record, Catch For Us the Foxes.
Musically, Catch For Us the Foxes is very similar to [A-->B] Life. The dueling angular guitar lines still create an eerie ambience throughout the album, but there are also some interesting melody lines that were absent on their previous release. Likewise, the lyrics are still drenched in metaphors and innovative images that convey Weiss' message without being overly straightforward. The songs tend to be brutally honest and focus mostly on relationships with God, friends, and girlfriends. And though many of these topics have been overused in recent years, there is enough creativity in the poetic nature of these lyrics to make them distinctive from other artists' songs that have similar themes.
Generally, the sole ingredient that makes you either love or hate mewithoutYou is the vocals. People who complained about the overabundance of random shouting in [A-->B] Life will probably not enjoy Catch For Us the Foxes, as it incorporates the same vocal delivery. In fact, the only difference in Weiss' technique between the two albums is that he has toned down the angst-ridden screaming and focused more on articulating the lyrics. The vocals are sure to please the band's devoted fan base but will most likely make the detractors all the more cynical about the band's popularity.
Overall, Catch For Us the Foxes succeeds as a successful sophomore album, and shows the musical maturity of these young indie rockers. The production is excellent, the lyrics are insightful, the music is innovative, and while the vocals are unconventional, they are a distinguishing factor in mewithoutYou's sound. If you are a fan of previous mewithoutYou efforts or enjoy the angular rock style of bands like Fugazi and At the Drive-In, then you will get a lot out of Catch For Us the Foxes. But if you are looking for an album that has great vocal melodies and catchy harmonies, then this album is probably not for you.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Len NashAnother dose of art rock, mewithoutYou's latest release Catch for Us the Foxes digs deeper into the artsy realms. This Brad Wood produced CD could become confusing to most who are unfamiliar with this band. For example, Aaron Weiss' tossing around of the spoken word and obscure pains of agony could never really register in some people's minds. Weiss and Company has improved upon an already tried…Opus 2005Reviewed by Jason MoreheadI suppose you could try to discuss mewithoutYou's music in your typical fashion, by looking at their background, the other bands they've been in, their influences, etc. However, I've found that a more accurate starting place isn't even with their music per se, but rather with the little ASCAP title under which they publish their songs -- "Jesus Have Mercy On Me, A Sinner." It's a cry of…Decapolis December 2004Reviewed by Luke KruseOnce in a great while, an album comes out that is more than simply music and words - an album that can be described as nothing less than artwork. Few bands are capable of producing such an album, and even fewer actually reach such greatness. I believe that with Catch for us the Foxes, mewithoutYou has recorded a truly special album, an album that as a whole is much greater than each of its…Similar sounding releases
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