Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: Nathan Atnikov |
Few current Canadian bands are loved as dearly as The Weakerthans, but the band comes with their share of shortcomings. Fans of the band bemoan the length of time between albums, and detractors note that the band hasn’t evolved much beyond the sound of their sophomore album, 2000’s Left and Leaving. Both sides have a point. And both sides will have equal-sized bones to pick with the three year wait that brings us to Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre, a snapshot of their most recent tour, captured in their home city of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The album features songs from all four of the band’s previous releases, with unwavering faithfulness to the studio recordings. Of course, that’s not always a bad thing. The band churns through career highlights such as ‘Everything Must Go!,’ ‘Reconstruction Site’ and ‘Night Windows,’ to the everlasting delight of the crowd.
The reason for the goodwill is frontman John K. Samson, simply one of the most literate songwriters working today. And considering how long it takes him to write his songs, you can hardly blame him for sticking to the arrangements when he gets in front of a crowd.