The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

Band: The Weakerthans
Album: Reunion Tour
Genre: indie rock
Label: Epitaph

Tracks:
1. Civil Twilight
2. Hymn of The Medical Oddity
3. Relative Surplus Value
4. Tournament of Hearts
5. Virtute The Cat Explains Her Departure
6. Elegy of Gump Worsley
7. Sun in An Empty Room
8. Night Windows
9. Bigfoot
10. Reunion Tour
11. Utilities

When I first received, "Reunion Tour," I honestly thought I was going to be listening to a live recording form A band I never knew broke up. What I found out very quickly was that I was horribly wrong. The Weakerthans have never broken up, nor is this new recording a live album. "Reunion Tour," is actually the band's fourth full length album, and 2nd for their deal with Epitaph Records. The album boasts songs about Marxist views, botched circumcisions, dead hockey players, and even makes reference to a women's curling tournament. Originally released in late 2007, "Reunion Tour," is the first record the band has put out since 2003, so the question is: Was it worth the wait?

Tour begins with with a simple guitar riff and simple drumming as the vocals come in telling tale of life from the perspective of a bus driver. It seems almost silly to write, but it play like a good pop rock song should, simple and catchy. Vocalist John Samson reminds me of Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard smashed into R.E.M.'s Michael Stipes and in the best possible way. Actually, the album plays a lot like a Death Cab album, simple songs with great instrumentation telling tales of love, loss, and life. "Hymn of The Medical Oddity," is a catchy song, but I doubt few would believe that it's actually based on a man who, when he was a child, had a botched circumcision and doctors informed his parents to raise him as a girl. It's funny the kinds of stories that are behind catchy songs, but I digress. highlight tracks would obviously be, "Tournament of Hearts," "Relative Surplus Value," and, "Reunion Tour." It's in these tracks that The Weakerthans showcase their amazing sound through catchy guitar work, solid drumming, and the addition of heavier keys/synth that really give the songs a glossy coat.

There is a dark spot to be found on, "Reunion Tour," and it lies in, "The Elegy of Gump Worsley." The song, or should I say spoken word and guitar, is about punk sports icon Gump Worsley, but plays like a bad excuse to be, "emo." There are references, quite literally, to his death and what to do with his possessions, etc. I get that they wanted to pay respects to their hero, but it just felt really forced and that killed the mood they were striving to attain. Overall though, "Reunion Tour," plays like the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon drive. It's perfectly paced and just right to match the moments when the sun is lowering in the sky and becoming consumed by clouds. If there ever comes a day, when The Weakerthans do split up, this album alone will be reason enough for fans to demand they hold a, "Reunion Tour."

GRADE: 8/10