You Fool! - What is the Meaning of This?

​You Fool!

What is the Meaning of This?
self-released; 2024

​​​By ​Dino DiMuro

You Fool! is an indie rock band that began playing and recording in the suburbs of Washington, DC. After two EP’s, they’ve just released a full-length album titled What is the Meaning of This? The band is led by the husband and wife team of Josh Ryan (guitarist/songwriter) and Julia Marasteanu (vocalist/songwriter) along with Mayson Rangel (bass), Gregory Fine (guitar/keys) and Mike Celone (drums). Their dreamy, ethereal post-rock has been compared to The Cranberries, Alvvays, Japanese Breakfast and Paramore.

The album’s unusual title has a double meaning, according to the band. It reflects “the introspective and contemplative nature of some of the tracks” but is also something Julia said to her cat! “That duality of silliness and contemplation is something we play around with a lot.” And while we’re talking about lead singer Julia, she actually once performed on the flying trapeze at the circus! (What other singer besides Pink does that?)

Despite having begun in Josh’s living room, the band now joins many other indie and alternative acts in the Washington, DC area for live performances. Recording for this album took place both at Ivakota Studio in DC and various home studios, with mixing and mastering at Wave Upon Wave.

First off, I love cassettes so the band’s cover art featuring a clear tape shell with a tiny flower sprig inside is quite striking and memorable. The music starts with an instrumental called “The Time We Have Left” and it’s an immediate blast of saturated sound featuring fuzzed-out guitar, feedback, sound effects and strings-like keyboards. It’s always quite a statement when a band takes a chance on clearing the room with the very first song, but it’s darkly beautiful in its way. “Mayday” introduces lead singer Julia Marasteanu right up front for what the band calls “a mournful electro-pop reflection on everyday horrors.” A short track, but again it’s darkly beautiful and feels quite current.

“Light of the Moon (Album Version)” is another dreamy and mysterious song, as if taking the elements of the previous track and deconstructing them. The beauty of Marasteanu’s voice comes across more clearly, maybe like Kate Bush without the unbridled intensity. The music reminds me a bit of Belly, with melodic lines played on guitar like Tanya Donelly often does. The band calls it “a cloud pleaser which depicts the slow-burn dissolution of a toxic relationship (featuring) an explosive groove.” We move from that to the Belly AND Breeders-like “Stay the Same” with more jagged guitar lines providing the rocking lattice for the whole track. This song must be a crowd-pleaser too, because I can hear them partying in the background! Interestingly Marasteanu’s vocal almost sounds Japanese

“Empire (Pts. I & II)” is nothing less than a guided tour of the budding romance between the two band leaders. Josh begins with treated “memory-like” spoken word, alternating with Marasteanu’s lovely vocals. The story follows our two stars as they tour the Washington DC monuments, which turns into romance and then into a band. It’s sweet and romantic, but delivers these sentiments with a rock-hard wall of guitars and drums. “Learning to Walk Before You Can Run (Instrumental)” is another melodic rocker with a tight arrangement and is built around home movie audio of Ryan’s older sister teaching her daughter to walk. The melodies have a bit of Fleet Foxes majesty. The a capella closing is rather ghostly.

“Wicked Teeth” has a solid, thumping beat and musically feels like it was born on the streets of Laredo. “Taking Notes” is an engaging staccato rocker (like The Strokes? Killers?) that features Ryan on lead vocals for the first time, and from the sound of it he should be sharing vocal duties a lot more! “Nock, Draw, Loose” successfully takes a stab at Smashing Pumpkins-like solid rock, while the sort-of title track  “A Butterfly's Wing (What is the Meaning of This?)” is a short chamber piece with groaning cellos, single piano notes, intimate vocals and narration. That the song’s subtitle was spoken to a cat makes it even better. “hello Armageddon (Fuck It, We're Dancing)” is described by the band as “a danceable pop anthem to the end of the world, and a fan favorite.” This led me to expect a track like R.E.M.’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” and aside from not being a list of names and nouns, it indeed has a similar spirit with an affecting energy.

It’s a dark secret (perhaps) that writers don’t keep copies of every album they review, but this one is going in my library as soon as it drops. That’s a recommendation!

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