Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 4/5 Released: September 25, 2007 Reviewer: David Coats |
After a curious four year hiatus, it took The Weakerthans a mere fifteen days to record Reunion Tour, an effort that re-establishes the band as one of Canada’s most valuable.
Unsurprisingly, John K. Samson’s lyrics – narratives – remain vivid and literate, with many of his customary references to the culture of his homeland that makes The Weakerthans one of the most distinctly Canadian bands around; ‘Tournament of Hearts’ is built entirely around curling metaphors, while ‘Elegy for Gump Worsley’ memorializes the legendary goaltender. But it is the likes of ‘Sun In An Empty Room’ and the fantastic ‘Utilities’ (“Got a face full of ominous weather / Smirking smile of a high pressure ridge / Got more faults than the state of California / and the heart is a badly built bridge … Make this something somebody can useâ€) that give the record its greatest sense of intimacy and character. Though still rich in the band’s trademark social commentary, Reunion Tour is more subtle than previous records.
The band is efficient and more accessible than ever before, with nearly every song sparkling with melody. Still, the aforementioned ‘Gump Worsley’ is a misstep, relying on an overly dramatic spoken word delivery that simply takes itself too seriously. Still, Reunion Tour features a number of interesting, seamless musical textures (especially woodwinds and brass), and showcases the band’s best pure pop rock songs, while also introducing some pedal steel alt-country. For a band that has made a name for itself blending punk and folk, this record tends to occupy more neutral middle ground, reflecting the lyrical shift away from up-front social statements towards emotional introspection.
Though Reunion Tour’s overall sound and message lacks some of the edge of their previous efforts, Reunion Tour is nonetheless full of strong songs that showcase one of Canada’s best bands in its prime.
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