Reviews

Reunion Tour

The Weakerthans

Released: Sep 25, 2007
Label: Epitaph
Reviewed by: Ian Lashbrook
4 comments

If you have ever taken a creative writing class, you've probably heard the phrase "show, don't tell." It was the mantra of many of my writing professors in college and it's a saying that has stuck with me for years. It's also the perfect tool to use when reviewing a record by The Weakerthans, one of Canada's finest rock acts.

John K. Samson and company have put out a new record, Reunion Tour, and it's another gem. Their debut, Fallow, was a bit inconsistent, though certainly an above-average release. Their follow-up, Left and Leaving, is one of the best records I have ever heard and it holds a cherished spot in my heart. That album also exhibited the immense talent that lead singer Samson has when it comes to crafting his words; the simple theme of loneliness seemed to hold no limitations in Samson's mind as he weaved the idea through the album. Their Epitaph debut, Reconstruction Site, followed and was also themed, though it was more geared towards group interactions or how people behave, not just one person. On Reunion Tour, there doesn't really seem to be a theme; this is more like a collection, unrelated perhaps, but certainly bound together in style and presentation. The album, much like their other efforts, is a simple affair with understated songs that float delicately alongside Samson's words.

While Left and Leaving is a headphone album, almost begging to be listened to by a single individual, and Reconstruction Site is much more energetic and ‘fun,' Reunion Tour falls in between and I think it's for a road trip. Now, it's not for the beginning of the trip when the energy level is way up, but more for that time along the interstate where you switch drivers in the middle of the night and everyone is awake for a bit, sipping on shitty coffee from the rest area gas station. It's at that time that Reunion Tour should be played. This is an album of quite energy and intrigue, like when you furiously rub two wool blankets together in the dark, catching fleeting glimpses of the sparks between them. It's like shining a flashlight into a dusty corner and discovering a box of old photo albums. This album is for the memories we've forgotten to remember, which is the best way I think I can put it. Some of the songs, like "Civil Twilight" and "Night Windows," achieve an atmosphere of thoughtfulness that feels so unique and genuine that you find it hard not to immediately repeat the track upon its conclusion. Then a song like "Bigfoot!" arrives with its acoustic guitar and beautifully harmonized trumpets, each musician working to serve the song and the words, no one part overpowering another. The biggest surprise on the album would have to be "Elegy for Gump Worsley," a spoken word piece about a retired hockey player delivered by Samson over the backdrop of banjo, bass, and clean electric guitar. It's difficult to present sports artistically, especially one as brutal and tough as hockey, but the droning background and carefully crafted words form something simply stunning.

When you get down to it, The Weakerthans are a rock band in the most general sense. Too straightforward to be considered ‘indie' and too slow to be considered ‘punk,' they are just a band...but a very special band. The Weakerthans are all about the details, and details are what teachers mean when they tell you to ‘show' something. Details are the simple flourishes that tell you so much about an individual or, in this case, a song. They are the things in the music that make a listener turn a tune up or rewind a bit to hear something again. Whether it's the melodic bass line in "Night Windows," the arena rock beginning to "Relative Surplus Value," or the tasty guitar riffs in album closer "Utilities," there are sounds throughout the record which will bring you back again and again; it's something they tend to do on all of their releases. In the end, Reunion Tour's music is simple and elegant, while its words are sublime and rendered with both intelligence and care. There's nothing else to say other than the fact that The Weakerthans latest is well worth the money and the wait.