Brother, Sisterby mewithoutYou

mewithoutYou has been a poetic and artistic inspiration for me since I was young. Despite their changes in musical style and prowess, they have retained (thanks mostly to the Weiss brothers)a unique sound like no other, full of philosophical lyrics, deep emotions, and vivid depictions of the often bleakness of life and love and family. Their 2006 release, "Brother,Sister" has become my favorite album, marking the turn of their change from alternative/progressive punk rock into a melodic fusion of the former and a new folk-rock style. This album runs smoothly from one song to the next, telling a tale of a spiritually complex man with a fascination for nature and the sea. There are elements in the lyrics of questioning morality, god, and struggling with love and lust at it's most primal state. The album fuses their signature 'angry/frustrated' rock and roll (such as "shadow am i") with very mellow acoustic hymns in between, giving just enough of the rock to satisfy their earlier punk fans as well as appease those more tuned to acoustic folk. One must appreciate the story telling ability of Aaron Weiss as well as his ability to express the human condition through his vocal ability, a feat attempted by many but achieved by very few. Listen to this album in it's entirety- you'll be left with catchy punk tunes in your head and philosophical questions about life, love and morality. "I do not exist."