The Weakerthans, a pop punk indie quartet from Canada, came across the interwebs today to serenade me. Members Stephen Carroll, John Samson, Greg Smith, and Jason Tait came together in 1997 and took on the indie music scene of North America. With a live album dropping March 23, 2010, The Weakerthans seem to have established their sound and a steady group of followers. I was anxious to find out what they did to acquire 1,599 fans on their Purevolume site.
First on deck was "Benediction," a song from their upcoming live album "Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre." The intro reminded me of The Eagles and The Allman Brothers, a huge compliment to The Weakerthans. When the vocals chimed in, I immediately thought of R.E.M. I felt like I was listening to every band my dad made sure to expose me to as a child so that I would grow up to listen to "good music." I appreciated this song because I could hear each instrument's part incredibly clearly. I was able to examine each member's immense talent within that song. Another impressive characteristic I noticed was that their lyrics include quite a bit of imagery. "Megaphones and helicopters squeal/Are you okay/The searchlights circle where we lost our way," gave me a visual of the sorrow the lyricist might have had on his face while writing this song. "Benediction" was clean, smart, and emotional, three qualities I like in a song.
"Tournament of Hearts" was next in line, another tune from their live album. I was hooked by the first chord because of the guitars' driving rhythm and tight articulation. I would have liked the vocals to be a little louder because the percussion and guitars buried them in a couple bars, but I was still rather pleased. The lyrics themselves were enough to keep me from getting hung up on the vocals though. "And I know you're out there waiting/ for an answer I can't give" is an example of the many easy-to-relate-to lines I noticed in this song. Though I found some fault with how the vocals did not balanced with everything else going on, "Tournament of Hearts" kept The Weakerthans in my good graces.
I concluded my listening session with "Night Windows," a haunting track from their album "Reunion Tour." I felt a very strong Decemberists vibe from the instrumental parts of this song, which consisted of a romance between the percussion and guitar that seemed perfectly timed, as if the band's eyes were glued to a metronome the entire time. The vocals were very calm and relaxed. I wanted to fall asleep to this song, not because it was boring but because it sounded so soothing. It could have lulled me right into my REM cycle.
I loved listening to The Weakerthans because of how they reminded me of so many bands I already enjoy. After listening to some of their live album, I have a strong desire to see them live, which I think is a testament to how talented they are. The Weakerthans now have 1,600 fans.
Try The Weakerthans here!
Thank you for reading. Shuffle on.
Photo credit: http://www.purevolume.com/theweakerthans/photos/3029673
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