mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister
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Free Music Notes for Brother, Sister
Free Music Review: ...
Hit: 5 Stars
I have had the pre-release of this album for about a month and a half and I cannot describe how utterly amazed and estatic I was when I first heard "Messes of Men" drip through my speakers. I knew that mwY had it in them to just totally smash my expectations... but I didn't expect it.
And they did.
This album is one of those fantastic cds that works well as a whole album... and just about every song works exceptionally well as a stand alone track, also. There are times when saying that the album flows from one song to another is a bad thing... but in this case it doesn't mean that the songs sound the same at all. They just work really well together in their sequencing.
Compared to their past work this album feels more organic and textured. A lot more acoustic guitars (that's right, Aaron picks up the hippie axe)... some horns (coutesy of Anathallo)... a little accorian-esque critter (also done by Aaron)... which, when coupled with some astonishing song twists and turns is quite a stunning experience.
Perhaps the single thing that most catapults this album is the great background vocals. They are first demonstrated on track one, "Messes of Men." Aaron mumbles through several verses, at first accompanied by raindrops... then by the rest of the band. And then the back ground vocals bring a theatrical flair, moaning above Aaron "Oh my G-d!" Shivers!
What mewithoutYou has done is craft not only a career defining masterpiece, but an album that could well join scenester hipsters, the anti-folk crowd, the post-punk Fugazi faithful, poetry slam attendees, emo self-depricists, and Christians all in one careless sweep.
Will everyone "get it"? No. But enough people should "get it" to catapult mewithoutYou to the upper echelons of stardom.
Free Music Review: 9.5 / 10 - Taken from the Iron Summit E-Zine - www.isrrecords.com/theironsummitezine
Hit: 5 Stars
mewithoutYou recently released a statement about the leaking of Brother, Sister, their brand new album, that discussed the importance of artistry in music and the package of an album as a whole versus an MP3. A lot of people could make the argument that what gives mewithoutYou the right above other artists to make such statements (especially when this album will invariably find its way onto itunes for purchasable download) and while this maybe a valid argument; one must sink their teeth into mewithYou's Brother, Sister to be able to fully comprehend the point the band is trying to make.
mewithoutyou are true artists. There's a cohesiveness to this album that almost no bands in the entire year of 2006 even come close to matching with tracks such as Nice and Blue pt. 2 (which echoes back to the bands debut album) and the matching tracks of Orange Spider, Yellow Spider, and Brownish Spider. On Brother, Sister, vocalist Aaron Weiss establishes himself as one of the most unique and best lyricist's currently writing music. To capture just how excellent Weiss' lyrics are, here are some lyrical passages from the album...
"no one can stop me / no one clip my claws / now everyone watch me scales these outside walls / you took the pious and profane / turned around the praise and blame / said a glass can only spill what it contains / to the perpetually plain / and the incurably inane / a glass can only spill what it contains"
"i do not exist / we faithfully insist / sailing in our separate ships / and in each tiny caravel / tiring of trying / there's a necessary dying / like the horseshoe crab in its proper season sheds its shell / such distance from our friends / like a scratch across the lens / made anything look wrong from anywhere we stood / and our paper blew away before we'd left the bay / so half-blind we wrote these songs on sheets of salty wood"
"in a sweater poorly knit / and an unsuspecting smile / little Moses drifts downstream in the Nile / a fumbling reply / an awkward rigid laugh / and I'm carried helpless by my floating basket raft / your a flavor in my mind / back and forth between / sweeter than any wine / as bitter as mustard greens / light and dark as honeydew / and pumpernickel bread / the trap I've set for you seems to have caught my leg instead"
The last lyrical passage is lifted from the album's closing track In A Sweater Poorly Knit which just might be the best song mewithoutYou has ever written and a serious contender for the best song of the year. The word epic is all too often thrown around but it seems quite fitting for a song such as this. One thing that listener's may notice on this album compared to mewithoutYou's previous releases is the extra instrumentation ranging from harps, accordians, and horns.
In the months leading up to the release of this record, it seemed that in interviews with the band that Brother, Sister would be a much more mellow record and while there are some mellower tracks found on this album, there are still a lot of upbeat tracks that will easily remind you of January 1979 or Torches Together (see Nice and Blue pt. 2, A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains, and C-Minor) . At the same time, it's hard for this record to not have bit of a folk rock feel to it mixed in with their indie past.
So what's not to like about Brother, Sister? Well, not a whole lot. However, if you are someone who prefers your music to remain a bit more secular then this record may not be for you as it seems as if the religious references on this album have been increased quite a bit which leads me to my next point. mewithoutYou is truly unlike any other band you will hear on Tooth & Nail Records and really the only reason they fit the label is for their religious beliefs. Musically, mewithoutYou bares no resemblance to any band (current or former) that Tooth & Nail has released which is certainly a nice change of pace. The humbleness of this band as it relates to the opportunities in which they have been given as musicians is astonishing and Brother, Sister is a record that is deserving of your ears as it is one of the finest records released in 2006.
Highlight tracks: In A Sweater Poorly Knit , O, Porcupine, Messes Of Men, Wolf Am I (and Shadow!)
Free Music Review: You will be hard pressed to find a better album this year.
Hit: 5 Stars
Listening to mewithoutYou does, in fact, bring tears to my eyes. Aaron's lyrics weigh heavy on my heart. I feel every emotion in his words, regardless of religious content. Here I am, a Jew, listening to best damned Christian rock ever recorded. You will not find another band like them, nor should you. These guys are incredible, and worth every penny. So, please, do yourself a favor and just buy the album. You will not regret the money spent.Free Music Review: Brother, Sister Best Effort Yet
Hit: 5 Stars
Once again, mewithoutYou deliver a very good album. Only this time around, we must call their newest effort Excellent. A beautiful Vasily Kafanov painting adorns the cover of the album, which follows precedence. The music inside the cover takes a cue from the painting itself. Layered with gorgeous orchestration and lush harmonies, Brother, Sister is sure to please. This album proves the band has taken another step down the road of musical progression and artistic expression. Not as hard as their first record; not as spare as their second- this one is just right.
Equally dreamy and dramatic, Aaron Weiss sings us lullabies guised as differently colored spiders and nearly brings tears to the eyes of the soft-hearted on the opening track, Messes of Men. The closing track, In a Sweater Poorly Knit will sweep you away on a wave of ecstasy. As for all of the songs in between- well, you'll just have to listen and make up your own mind. Anyone searching for filler will be hard pressed trying to find it on this album. Brother, Sister will seep into your ears and plant seeds in your heart. Cherish these tunes and cultivate their message with care. May God Bless You.