Review: mewithoutYou's It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright

The Breakdown:

It's hard to listen to mewithoutYou's new album without considering the post-hardcore genre that they used to belong squarely in. On their debut, Catch For Us The Foxes, they delivered some of the heaviest and most memorable riffs I'd heard in a long time. I have only listened to the albums they've made since then once or twice, but it's clear Weiss is moving in a new direction.

Not that the new direction is a problem. Fans of The Decemberists and The Butchers And The Builders will find that the folky but strongly rhythmic songs here will be to their liking, while Lavender Diamond fans will find numerous nuances of Baroque pop. However, the most direct comparison that I can make is to Danielson Familie. It's not just the strong Christianity present throughout: the chanted group vocals, love-it-or-hate-it lead vocals [Weiss bears a strong resemblance to Kermit The Frog sometimes], poppy melodies, and odd but fitting instrumentation all correlate. It's not as much of an acquired taste as Danielson, but it is often in the same vein.

If you can stand all the agriculture and wildlife references, it's an interesting album, although the lyrics are often a little too opaque for me. Those usually turned off by Christianity will find that Weiss navigates it with a certain grace not usually found; instead of moralistic heavy-handedness, there are easily bypassed parables and symbolism. Indeed, "A Stick, A Carrot & String" sounds more like a Christmas carol than anything else, and in a way, that's what it is.

It's really hard to hate this album, although it is a departure from their original sound. Fans of Baroque pop-folk artists such as The Decemberists should dig this; the main difficulty I had was the repeated theme of animals and farms that might just be a little too high-concept for me. While there are no big standouts like "Torches Together" or "Disaster Tourism", it's still an engaging album.

Blow By Blow:

1. "Every Thought A Thought Of You" -- What might be the most interesting song. Features a bouncy, ska-like rhythm, complete with dancehall rapping in the middle.

2. "The Fox, The Crow, And The Cookie" -- Yes, that's tuba. Yes, you're right, it does fit. This song reminded me of Neutral Milk Hotel for some reason.

3. "The Angel Of Death Came To David's Room" -- This is where the Danielson comparison might be strongest.

4. "Goodbye, I!" -- Cool rhythm. Piano makes an appearance.

5. "A Stick, A Carrot & String" -- A folksy, accordion-accompanied Christmas story.

6. "Bullet To Binary (Pt. Two)" -- Completely different from "Bullet To Binary", the opening track from [A --> B] Life. Strong klezmer feel.

7. "Timothy Hay" -- A plain weird pop song about rabbits. The music is very good, although the lyrics seem a bit repetitive.

8. "Fig With A Bellyache" -- More Danielson comparison. If someone can satisfactorily explain the lyrics to me, they win a First Order Of Business shirt.

9. "Cattail Down" -- Lyrics are a bit stilted, but chamber pop fans will especially enjoy this song.

10. "Allah, Allah, Allah" -- Although it may seem inconsistent with the band's Christian lyrics, this is a beautiful and well-written song.

Final Verdict:

The music is excellent for the most part, although the lyrics are a little too obscure sometimes, and the agricultural references often seem overplayed. Definitely an interesting listen, and fans of The Decemberists, The Butchers And The Builders, and similar bands will find a lot to like.