Reviews

There’s no secret here; if you like The Weakerthans, you will have already bought this. If you’ve never heard of The Weakerthans, this could be a great way to get into them. Samson fronts the previously mentioned, northern-neighbor rock band responsible for several excellent albums over the last ten years or so. This short 7” marks his second foray into solo work and it is a quite, contemplative piece of audio that takes you on a very personal tour of a specific area in Canada.

“Heart of the Continent” sounds akin to some of the most stripped down Weakerthans tunes. Think “Left and Leaving” or “One Great City!”. It even has a similar walking bass line plucked along on an acoustic guitar. This tune was probably meant to make it onto one of the band’s albums but found a better lyrical home on this EP. “Grace General” and “Cruise Night” sound a bit like Samson breaking from the constraints of his band and writing much more for himself. “Grace General” sounds so close and intimate, almost like Samson is sharing a secret with you. “Cruise Night” bobs along on a simple plastic-straw drumbeat reminiscent of Onelinedrawing’s older work. I can almost imagine the 1989 Casio keyboard that was most likely used…it was probably missing a few keys, just like mine.

This is a beautiful effort from John K. Samson and the kind of record you feel privileged to hear. This is a master showcasing his talents in their barest and most honest form. I just hope this is a teaser for an upcoming full-length…