In rejecting pretty much everything standard, mewithoutYou has carved a niche all its own in the post-hardcore, alternative genre. Whether it’s the use of bizarre instrumentation or their utter disregard for songwriting convention, the Pennsylvanian quintet has established a reputation: they’re rule breakers. No other band would have even thought to write an album like “Brothers, Sisters,” let alone records like “Ten Stories.” The band’s latest single, “Red Cow,” continues this tradition defying expectations.
Right from the get-go, listeners are greeted by mewithoutYou’s atypical signifiers: Aaron Weiss’s spoken vocal delivery, curious, anthemic drums and the ever-sturdy bass rhythms of Greg Jehanian. “Red Cow” runs through morose, subdued verses before a muted eruption breaks through the solemn dirge. It’s an effective transition, riddled with bravado and grit without slipping into metallic territory. Lesser artists likely would have punctuated the shift with an atonal outburst of overwrought angst, but mewithoutYou are veterans; the value of restraint isn’t a secret.
Here, mewithoutYou has released another successful track – both as a taste of things to come and as a standalone song. It’s refreshing, vibrant and, most of all, just a solid song. If “Red Cow” is any indicator, “Pale Horses,” the band’s sixth studio album, seems primed to be another winner.
