Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

Singing on a mewithoutYou album? It maybe shouldn't be such a surprise coming from this unique group. Aaron Weiss' trademark spoken/shouted delivery style is very much intact, but is augmented by the occasional bout of normal singing, at which he proves quite adept. This adds greater depth to the band's abilities and allows them to take songs into places they previously have been unable to go. The experimentation on this album isn't confined to the singing, as the band utilise chants in Arabic as well as harp and accordion to further evolve their sound. The band covers the rock musical spectrum from the mellow "Yellow Spider" and laid back "C-minor" through to the punk-like styling of "Wolf Am I! (And Shadow)", with ease. This provides a solid foundation for the vocals to build on, while also supplying flourishes and enhancements. Lyrically the band explore their lives and faith in a way that proves to be poetic and mysterious, while clearly focussed on living for God. From the rain drenched brooding intro to "Messes Of Men" through to the harp featured on the fade of "In A Sweater Poorly Knit", this is an album which surprises and delights in equal measure.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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