Do bands with brief histories and little resounding impact deserve retrospectives? If their members went on to Neil Perry, Hot Cross and the Assistant, why the hell not? Collecting 23 tracks from You and Is brief two-year existence during the late 90s, this self-titled "discography shows a band in its formative stages but with potential that would blossom in its offshoots. Citing the chaos and confusion of Deadguy, Converge, Kiss It Goodbye and the melodic sense of Lifetime or Hot Water Music, You and I could liberally be slotted into the burgeoning screamo movement that would follow, but were also playing with the blackened thrash metal that was infecting the hardcore scene back then, and while everything is loose and the production rough at best, the melodies cracked and vocals frayed, and not terribly different sonically than any number of other acts mining the same territory, You and Is emotion and conviction bleeds through this release. Musically stronger at their more chaotic, their softer side does offer moments of relief, and You and I would have only been fashioned into a sharper, more distinct weapon given time, which has happened with its spawn.
(Alone)You and I
You and I
BY Chris GramlichPublished Aug 1, 2003