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MewithoutYou is one of those bands that do an amazing job at polarizing their listeners: you either love them or you hate them. In the two years since this Philadelphia rock outfit released their debut record, [A--.>B] Life, adamant supporters have lauded Aaron Weiss' spoken/shouted poetry as an astounding artistic innovation, while the equally adamant dissenters have written them off as random shouting against a backdrop of pretentious art-core. But regardless of how you felt about their past release, it is impossible to deny the impact that they have already managed to make in the music scene during their short existence. Similarly, it is impossible to overlook the musical growth and the stunning maturity displayed in their sophomore record, Catch For Us the Foxes.

Musically, Catch For Us the Foxes is very similar to [A-->B] Life. The dueling angular guitar lines still create an eerie ambience throughout the album, but there are also some interesting melody lines that were absent on their previous release. Likewise, the lyrics are still drenched in metaphors and innovative images that convey Weiss' message without being overly straightforward. The songs tend to be brutally honest and focus mostly on relationships with God, friends, and girlfriends. And though many of these topics have been overused in recent years, there is enough creativity in the poetic nature of these lyrics to make them distinctive from other artist's songs that have similar themes.

Generally, the sole ingredient that makes you either love or hate mewithoutYou is the vocals. People who complained about the overabundance of random shouting in [A-->B] Life will probably not enjoy Catch For Us the Foxes, as it incorporates the same vocal delivery. In fact, the only difference in Weiss' technique between the two albums is that he has toned down the angst-ridden screaming and focused more on articulating the lyrics. The vocals are sure to please the band's devoted fan base but will most likely make the detractors all the more cynical about the band's popularity.

Overall, Catch For Us the Foxes succeeds as a successful sophomore album, and shows the musical maturity of these young indie rockers. The production is excellent, the lyrics are insightful, the music is innovative, and while the vocals are unconventional, they are distinguishing factor in mewithoutYou's sound. If you are a fan of previous mewithoutYou efforts or enjoy the angular rock style of bands like Fugazi and At-the-Drive-In, then you will get a lot out of _Catch For Us the Foxes_. But if you are looking for an album that has great vocal melodies and catchy harmonies, then this album is probably not for you.

Phil Nichols  11/21/2004