mewithoutYou
There are very few bands who can pull off being simultaneously incendiary and fragile, communicating angst and heartfelt vulnerability. Yet, this band has somehow built their reputation around it; since their early days, mewithoutYou has walked that very tightrope. But with the release of their new record, It’s All Crazy, It’s All False, It’s All a Dream, It’s Alright, the band has decidedly gravitated toward the disarming side of their collective personality. The post-punk ferocity of their adolescence as a unit has taken a backseat to the heartfelt subtleties that began with their previous release, Brother, Sister. Deeply poetic and challenging, with metaphors galore, this a record that will challenge the most questioning ears.
But don’t let the softer side of mewithoutYou fool you, they are as calculated as ever with their presentation of emotion this time around; forcing the listener to confront many a vital idea. Never ones to mince words, this record is as aggressively fresh and distinct as they come. Guitarist Mike Weiss had plenty of insight to share about the new record and the latest incarnation of the band itself when I spoke with him recently:
Mike, thanks for taking some time to let people know what is going on with you and the band. As I understand, this album continues the evolution of your sound, along with Aaron’s vocal style. It’s sure to provoke much conversation. Talk to me about the process of recording the new record ... how did you push yourselves sonically, instrumentally, and thematically this time around? Who produced, mixed and engineered?
A major way that the band was pushed this time around was the absence of Chris Kleinberg. Not having his guitar sounds, his stern standards on quality control and the softer influence he brought to the band’s sound in the past created a challenge. It was one that we were up for though. As a direct result there is only my electric guitar ideas along with Aaron playing most of the acoustic stuff. I think this de-emphasized the past sounds of big guitar rock on our earlier records. It made the electric guitar more noticeable, because there is less of it! Make sense? Pushing forward in a thematic way could be how Aaron approached his songwriting. There are a lot more tunes as opposed to screaming. Lyrics are more story telling oriented with an emphasis on the tradition of fables. We did a lot of Aaron’s acoustic stuff as full band on this album and that format really carved a new sound out for us.
mewithoutYou - Finish this feature by Andrew Schwab in the new HM Magazine. Available now, Issue 137 can be found at select stores or for a reduced subscription rate.
Return to MAIN PAGE
