MeWithoutYou, "Ten Stories"

Wow, am I late to the party. MeWithoutYou's debut record was released 13 years ago, but I have only become engrossed in their catalog over the past week. But, as the saying goes, it's better late than never. These guys are immensley talented. MeWithoutYou first emerged in the Christian hardcore scene, and become known for their dark, heavy instrumentals that backed lead vocalist Aaron Weiss's distinctive, frantic shout/screaming vocal delivery matched with lyrics that were very introspective and 'wordy'. But over the years, MeWithoutYou's sound evolved into something more reminiscent of indie folk (Neutral Milk Hotel, The Mountain Goats), with hardly a trace of the hardcore and emo that helped them amass their devoted fan-base. Perhaps the alienating of their original fans made MeWithoutYou feel guilty, because the band decided to incorporate their hardcore roots into their music again on their latest album, 2012's Ten Stories. This is a truly compelling album that mixes loud, distorted guitars and traditional folk music that could almost pass for a children's album if not for the occasional screaming and dark lyrics of Aaron Weiss. Lyrically, Ten Stories is a concept record about a circus train crash in 1878. Each song tells a story about a circus animal's experience in the circus and in the aftermath of the disaster. Mostly told in first person, the songs are extremely detailed and authentic. Even though Weiss is talking through characters, his words somehow don't sound any less personal than they did in the band's early days when he wrote songs about battling his own personal demons. The chorus of the indie-pop influenced track "Cardiff Giant" may be a conversation between a peacock and a tiger, but when Weiss belts out "I often wonder if I've already died", the intensity of his delivery along with the powerful words makes you contemplate if perhaps this is a personal record doubling as a story about talking animals. Another highlight on the album is "Nine Stories", which starts out as a dark, subdued folk song, but suddenly transitions completely into a stomping rocker. This experimentation with song structure is also a welcome addition to MeWithoutYou's sound. This is a band that is always looking for ways to do things differently, and it shows on this record more than ever. MeWithoutYou have recently announced that they will be releasing a new LP this year, and after hearing the blending of different genres and compelling storytelling on Ten Stories, I can't wait for it.



Click here to listen to "Cardiff Giant"