My adoration for Tooth and Nail Records was previously discussed in my introduction post, and anyone that is familiar with the label knows that mewithoutYou always proved to be one of the strongest bands on the roster. [A->B] Life, Catch for Us the Foxes, and Brother, Sister were all flawless albums that managed to gently cater me into the world of “indie rock” and still remain as some of my all-time favorite releases years later. Recently, the legendary five-piece from Pennsylvania made the remarkably wise decision of joining Run for Cover Records, and their latest release is their best in years.
Pale Horses takes the highlight aspects of all five of the band’s previous LPs and puts them all into practice creating their most adhesive record to date. It was much to my joy that Aaron Weiss revisits his trademarked stormy, spoken word tangents coupled with aggressive instrumentation as the backdrop for his explosive poetry. Fans of newer material will be pleased as Weiss also retreads the “sit-by-the-fire-and-sing-kumbaya-pretending-you-are-a-cross-between-Jeff-Magnum-and-Kermit-the-Frog” vocal approach, but with a much more mature execution.
One thing new listeners must take caution towards before delving into the world of Pale Horses is that the themes present in mewithoutYou’s unique lyricism may prove to be heavier in content than their label mates. Theology, Philosophy, Zionism, the occult, Satan, absolute truths, nuclear holocaust, and the second coming of Christ are all reoccurring ideas and topics presenting throughout these pale horse songs of the slow decline. This may not prove to be as relatable as Turnover or Citizen, but mewithoutYou’s biggest strength has always been Weiss’ beautifully-written, poetic, and emotionally- layered lyrics.
The band’s latest addition to their catalog is a remarkably executed return to form. Pale Horses proves to be a perfect representation of the band fifteen-year-career with a flawless vocal performance from legendary Aaron Weiss and some of their most impressive instrumentation to date. If mewithoutYou did not serve as a pillar of nostalgia for you, be prepared to be blown away by their newest release through Run for Cover Records.