4 out of 5

Label: Tooth & Nail

Producer: Brad Wood

Even though it was only two years after their previous album, I was blown away to see ‘Catch’ released, figuring the group to be a here-and-gone affair, leaving me with that one, great oddball punk/hardcore album with which everyone except my friends and close music confidants (i.e. my socks) seemed to be enthralled…  And not only was their another album, but it was being knob-twiddled by one of the pop masters, Brad Wood, under whose guidance I felt the band would probably better thrive, cutting off some J.Robbins clutter.  I was right, of course (i.e. of course): it’s apparent from the opening stomp of ‘Torches Together’ that this a more mature, focused version of MWY.  But even though I find this release to be, perhaps, the most accessible from the group’s catalogue, it’s also the one with the least ‘heart.’  Not in the effort: there’s a wonderful rollicking heaviness to almost every track, Aaron Weiss’ singing as panicked as it was on A –> B but without the Bright Eyes’ unrestrained warble – thus he can maintain that same powerful throaty pitch but use it to deliver his thoughts with more clarity of theme and emotion.  Kleinberg and Weiss #2s guitars are purposefully patient (again, ditching the Jawbox jitters), and effectively work around the awesome steady beat laid down by Ricky Mazzotta’s drums and Daniel Pishock’s bass.  Wood mostly just mics and mixes it to capture how rich and deep the group’s sound can be, but there are some interesting and minor percussion touches that help to break up the slight monotony that takes over the middle of the disc (before ‘The Soviet’ and ‘My Exit, Unfair’ set us right again with bold choruses and shifting quiet/loud dynamics).

So what’s the lack of heart?

Well, you’ll notice that Aaron doesn’t sing about animals here.  He’s dumped a lot of the (*ahem*) more directly emo bits from A –> B and replaced them with more inventive scripture references (the band already setting a precedent of being Clearly For Christ but not stuffing it down their listener’s throats in a discouraging fashion – Weiss’ musings tend to regard his own fate.), but ‘Catch’ just seems to lack a true, centralized motivation, which adds to the middle-album malaise.  Comparatively, while the followup to this – ‘Brother, Sister’ – doesn’t really make you grab yer dancin’ shoes like this disc, Mr. Weiss finds his own set of symbols in nature and begins to use them in earnest for that album and the next couple…

‘Catch for Us the Foxes’ is that rare instance of a group’s least creative offering being, in some ways, their best.  You might not remember song titles or form any real attachment to the lyrics, but you will be tapping your toe and humming these a few days later.