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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.'
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The band's latest, Reunion Tour, appeals directly to your brain.
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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.
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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.
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This is investigative journalism with a heart of compassion, a steady backbeat and four buzzing power chords.
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Sampson's penmanship here is the most minute and observant among a recent batch of great songwriting
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SpinJohn 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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The band sounds quieter and richer than ever.
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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.
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Alternative PressReunion Tour further cements the Weakerthans' status as legitmate rock 'n' roll tastemakers. [Nov 2007, p.172]
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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.
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Listening to The Weakerthans makes me feel young and happy and hopeful.
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Under The RadarThe fourth disc from this Winnipeg, Manitoba quartet proves to be its strongest and most consistent. [Fall 2007, p.83]
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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.
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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.
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All things considered, this is a record of high quality, and a vehicle for a storyteller of uncommon faculty.
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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.
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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.
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UncutThis is a rock record, and Samson's band functions as the sharp teeth to his lucid tongue. [Jan 2008, p.112]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 11 out of 12
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Mixed: 0 out of 12
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Negative: 1 out of 12
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sdj.Oct 13, 2007
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MikefromMaineOct 10, 2007
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jkerelioOct 4, 2007