Reunion Tour
by The Weakerthans
  • Record Label: Epitaph
  • Release Date: Sep 25, 2007
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Alternative Press
    90
    Reunion Tour further cements the Weakerthans' status as legitmate rock 'n' roll tastemakers. [Nov 2007, p.172]
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  2. Lost At Sea
    90
    Listening to The Weakerthans makes me feel young and happy and hopeful.
  3. Prefix Magazine
    85
    Sampson's penmanship here is the most minute and observant among a recent batch of great songwriting
  5. Stylus Magazine
    83
    Their steadily, sturdily conventional rock and roll is more compelling and rich than most people would admit as they're busy gawking at the sight of the Amazing Lyricist and his Kinda Weak Voice.
  6. Filter
    82
    The Weakerthans’ music ages well, and when they free themselves from style and are left to focus purely on their music, it never fails to make you feel special—thus making the Weakerthans a perfect band for fandom.
  7. Amazon.com
    80
    The curiously titled Reunion Tour (four years between albums but they never disbanded) ups the lyrical ante ever more with contagious tunes like 'The Last Last One,' 'Hymn of the Medical Oddity,' and 'Relative Surplus Value.'
  8. Hartford Courant
    80
    The band's latest, Reunion Tour, appeals directly to your brain.
  9. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    80
    Although it lifts off with a flawless indie-pop opener and sounds somehow lively even at its most melancholy, the lovely new Weakerthans album disc is all about the art of settling in and telling a good, unhurried story.
  10. NOW Magazine
    80
    It's got the same mix of mid-tempo power chords and slow-moving ballads, and the lyrics are just as thought-provoking and insightful as ever.
  11. Paste Magazine
    80
    This is investigative journalism with a heart of compassion, a steady backbeat and four buzzing power chords.
  12. Spin
    80
    John K. Samson's imagistic descriptions of loneliness, desperation and yearning--which avoid the goofiness that plagues, say, Fountains of Wayne--are fleshed out with chiming guitars and warm synths. [Oct 2007, p.112]
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  13. The New York Times
    80
    The band sounds quieter and richer than ever.
  14. Boston Globe
    80
    Few can match the Weakerthans's lyrical ingenuity without succumbing to earnest excess, and the result is an at times wry, at times touching exploration of life's overlooked corners.
  15. Drowned In Sound
    80
    All things considered, this is a record of high quality, and a vehicle for a storyteller of uncommon faculty.
  16. Uncut
    80
    This is a rock record, and Samson's band functions as the sharp teeth to his lucid tongue. [Jan 2008, p.112]
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  17. The A.V. Club
    75
    Musically, Reunion has flashes of Wilco-esque brilliance, but it's mostly a blank slate on which Samson is free to squiggle his wise, weary verse.
  18. Under The Radar
    70
    The fourth disc from this Winnipeg, Manitoba quartet proves to be its strongest and most consistent. [Fall 2007, p.83]
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  19. Trouser Press
    70
    The songs are catchy and listenable, but Samson's lyrics lack the depth of songs like 'Benediction' or 'A New Name for Everything' on its predecessor.
  20. cokemachineglow
    69
    I can identify the album’s merits and appreciate the craftsmanship but, to employ my second cliché in too short a span of time, the magic is gone.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 12 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. sdj.
    Oct 13, 2007
    10
    The weakerthans are by far my favourite band and this release did not disappoint. This is a solid effort and has fewer lows than The weakerthans are by far my favourite band and this release did not disappoint. This is a solid effort and has fewer lows than Reconstruction Site. The band has mellowed since Left and Leaving but the lyrics are still some of the best in the biz.… Full Review »
  2. MikefromMaine
    Oct 10, 2007
    8
    The Weakerthans are one band that can definitely claim to having their own sound, which they combine that with lyrics that, at times, seem The Weakerthans are one band that can definitely claim to having their own sound, which they combine that with lyrics that, at times, seem more than like poetry. It all come together very nicely, with a collection that features both quiet moments, and some great burst of power pop guitars. The only issue I have is that they there's not much musically different from their excellent previous collection, "Reconstruction Site," which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because you really come back to the Weakerthans for the the new poems, which all find emotion in the small things that make up life. Vritute the Cat is back, this time to tell the tell of her departure, in probably the saddest piece about a pet I've ever heard.… Full Review »
  3. jkerelio
    Oct 4, 2007
    9
    An excellent new album. A shade better than Reconstruction Site and without the high peaks of Left and Leaving. I love an album which has a An excellent new album. A shade better than Reconstruction Site and without the high peaks of Left and Leaving. I love an album which has a great back half!… Full Review »
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