mewithoutYou
Catch For Us the Foxes


5.0
classic

Review

by BlindGuy1012 USER (5 Reviews)
March 12th, 2007 | 135 replies


Release Date: 2004 | Tracklist

Review Summary: mewithoutYou is a band that is well, kind of strange and just a little bit different. They are changing things up just a little bit in the Christian Hardcore scene. Maybe not changing things drastically, but doing things differently enough to be noticed a

When I first heard of mewithoutYou it was from a friend whose tastes in music I find to be quite similar to my own. Soon after that I decided to check them out for myself and I gave a listen to a couple of songs. Well, at the time I decided that these guys were just a little too out there for me, and put them off for quite a while. Lucky for me when I would look for some new music to get mewithoutYou would pop into my head, and a couple of months ago I finally listened to that little voice inside my head, and ended up picking up their latest album Brother, Sister , and soon after that I got this album as well. mewithoutYou is quickly becoming one of my most favorite bands, and Catch for Us the Foxes is becoming one of my favorite albums. There are a couple of anomalies with this band, mainly just lead singer Aaron Weiss. Instead of the typical singing and screaming, Aaron rather talks and shouts, yet he does this with as much intensity and emotion as anyone I can think of. He is also a very religious man, frequently using his beliefs as material for their songs, and is a poet of a lyricist delivering powerful messages.

Everything in this band fits together well. All the guys on the instruments play them very well, all though if you don’t really enjoy the vocals the instruments are probably not going to make up for it. There isn’t anything that is out of place, all the instruments are audible, and none of the instruments seem to dominate over the others. Probably the biggest downfall is that it is pretty much the vocals that have the majority of the spotlight, as there are not really any solos or anything like that. The most stand-out guy besides Aaron to me would be Richard Mazzotta on the drums. He plays on an incredibly basic kit. He’s got the bass, snare, a tom, the floor tom, his hi-hat, and the ride symbol. I’m a big fan of his rhythms and fills and what he does with not a whole lot.

Too be honest there just isn’t too many moments when the instruments truly stand out on this album, there is definitely some more interesting musical moments on their most recent release Brother, Sister . When the rest of the guys do manage to steal the spotlight from Aaron they can really make some great moments, but this album is mostly all about the vocals, and the fantastic lyricist the Aaron Weiss is. Paper Hanger is probably the most popular track off of this album and could possibly be my favorite song by them. It is one of the mellower tracks off the album, but slowly builds to the end where Aaron is just screaming “Our lives are not out own, even the wind plays still. All I felt was fire and bone, and movement, movement. If they ask you for a sign of the Father then tell them its movement, movement of hope.”

Another track I really enjoy is Four Word Letter (Part Two) where Aaron grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the track is over. Filled with powerful lines like “Oh, but I’m so small. I can barely see how this great love can be inside of me. But look at your eyes there small in size, but they see enormous things” and “You strike the match, why not utterly be changed to fire? To sacrifice the shadow and the mist of a brief life you never much liked. So if you’d care to come along we’re gonna curb all our never- ending, clever complaining (as who’s ever heard of a singer criticized by his own song?)”

mewithoutYou is undoubtedly a unique band and something different. I’ve said it a couple times before, but Aaron is really what makes mewithoutYou, with his powerful half sung, half talking or shouting delivery, and his poetic lyrics that do a great job at sharing his beliefs. You can really feel the passion that they have about what they are doing, and the music is chockfull of emotion and power. I know I kind of struggled to describe their sound, but it just seems to me that you’re only going to enjoy the band if you can stand Aaron and his vocals. I think for most people it will be hit or miss, they will either really enjoy it, or they won’t, and I find myself enjoying it quite a lot.

mewithoutYou is:
Aaron Weiss- Vocals
Michael Weiss- Guitar
Christopher Kleinberg- Guitar
Greg Jehanian- Bass
Richard Mazzotta- Drums

Recommended Track
Torches Together
The Soviet
Paper Hanger
My Exit, Unfair
Four Word Letter (Part Two)


user ratings (1586)
4.2
excellent
other reviews of this album
1 of
  • Kiran EMERITUS (4)
    Combining the aggressive elements of A to B: Life with the atmospheric Brother, Sister, th...

    letsgofishing (4.5)
    In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my ...

    JokesorInsults (5)
    My life's a cup of sugar I borrowed before time began and forgot to return....

    atrink (5)
    mewithoutYou's (second) best LP could be post-hardcore's finest ever! The album of 200(4)!...

  • ohhhcomely (5)
    Clever words on pages turn to fragments, circles, points, and lines/and they cover them li...

    mmfarva (4)
    mewithoutYou creates a simple, happy, but polarizing album. While not as good as Brother, ...



Comments:Add a Comment 
trustxdialect
March 12th 2007


1502 Comments


I'm not a big mewithoutYou fan, but they're fantastic live. Your review, while well-written, suggests a strong 4. A 4 is still a good rating (and could suggest a perfect album, but for a genre as opposed to a 5 that transcends genre placement), so don't feel like you're short-changing the album if you give it a 4. If you still believe it's a 5, go back and edit your review and make it seem more relevent.

Otisbum
March 12th 2007


1913 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I don't really like the singer, but nice review.

BlindGuy1012
March 12th 2007


252 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

I see what your saying, I really didn't say a whole lot to back up my rating. I tried to sound unbiased and spent to much time trying to point out flaws instead of pointing out the good stuff. I'll see if I can get this fixed up a bit. This Message Edited On 03.12.07

cbmartinez
March 12th 2007


2525 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

I'm probably going to write a review for this as it is one of my favorite albums ever. Their best album by far. "Disaster Tourism" is absolutely breathtaking, as is "Carousels."

BlindGuy1012
March 12th 2007


252 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Yeah those are great songs, I had a really hard time picking out just 5 for the recommended tracks. I basically love every song off of this.

cbmartinez
March 12th 2007


2525 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

You ever see them live?

BlindGuy1012
March 12th 2007


252 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

I haven't yet. I'm actually pretty jealous because my friend saw them last October or November, and went without me.



I've heard their live show is absolutely amazing.

Squamish
March 13th 2007


84 Comments


I love the stuff that I've heard off this album, but I can't seem to find it in any record stores.

BlindGuy1012
March 13th 2007


252 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

There I edited it, and tried to but a little bit more of a positive spin on it to help justify my rating.

cbmartinez
March 13th 2007


2525 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

They're very good live. The lead singer is a strange guy. When I saw them (with Thursday, The Blood Brothers, Circle Takes The Square, by the way), they had the pastor from the lead singer's church play random instruments on stage with them. And for "Four Word Letter," they had the guy from they Psalters come out to do that "Cry Of The Exodus" at the end. Awesome show.



I think that's "Four Word Letter," or is it "My Exit, Unfair?"

TheMisterBungle
March 13th 2007


861 Comments


I like these guys, I should get this.

embroglio
March 13th 2007


219 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

this is one of my favorites. i love leaf and my exit unfair.

santi3hg
March 13th 2007


440 Comments


No way this is post-hardcore. This is truly respectable, made well and i agree your review supports a 4. I would rate it such.

liebherk
March 13th 2007


164 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

excellent album. One thing, I'm pretty sure the lyric is "If they ask you for a sign of the Father then tell them its movement, movement ohhh and repose"

BlindGuy1012
March 13th 2007


252 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

I really thought it was of hope, but I'll check again.

trustxdialect
March 13th 2007


1502 Comments


No, I'm mistaken. It's taken from the bible, supposedly, and the quote is "and repose."This Message Edited On 03.13.07

BlindGuy1012
March 13th 2007


252 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Well then I guess I won't have to worry about it.

lunchforthesky
March 13th 2007


1039 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

This band could be reasonable if every line they ever wrote wasn't about God.



They are a little boring music wise too.

NeverFading14
March 13th 2007


380 Comments


This cd truly is amazing.

lunchforthesky, they've written like what..maybe..four songs about God ever?

FreshCoffee
March 13th 2007


22 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

They manage to have very religious lyrics without coming off as corny or preachy. I love their lyrics, and I'm no Christian. What I love even more is the way they're delivered, the singing stands out and separates this band from everything out there.



This is a personal favorite album of mine, I'd give it a 5 but I realize it's not exactly a "classic" so a 4.5 it is. It does have its flaws.



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