Style: Post-hardcore folk, compare to Modest Mouse, Aaron Strumpel, The Mountain Goats
Top tracks: “Grist for the Malady Mill,” “Aubergine,” “Cardiff Giant”
mewithoutYou fully embraces its literary leanings with the anthropomorphic fiction of Ten Stories. The rollicking narrative kicks off in “February, 1878” with a circus train wreck, then follows the escaped animals through physical, philosophical, and theological wanderings. The gnostic tiger, hedonistic owl, prophetic fox, and others move the introspective material past navel-gazing to insightful pondering about the cycles of human life. The musical journey strikes a brilliant balance between the gentler neofolk of It’s All Crazy! … and earlier post-hardcore pounding. Aaron Weiss’ unique vocals range from raucous yawping to mumbling to melodic crooning. Get out your dictionary to go deep, or just hang on for an entertaining ride.
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