The Last And – John K. Samson (Buy)
Indie rockers The Weakerthans are all about Canadian pride this year. As a whole, the group released Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre, a huge live cd/dvd recorded in their hometown of Winnipeg. As for front man John K. Samson, his recent EP Provincial Road 222 will guide you up north to the province of Manitoba without ever having to dust off your passport.
His 4th solo album comes in at just under ten minutes in length, and while that may seem like a short story, it plays out like a novel. Together, the three songs deftly weave tales of heroes, heartaches and hard drives.
“The Last And” is a wistful love letter from teacher to principal, two of whom shared an affair that has withered and died. It is beautifully vulnerable for both the character and reader, like someone guiltily reading pages from a found diary. As poignant as the referenced punctuation, it reads, “Somehow suddenly I know/As my eyes stop on one curled up in my lesson plan/That I’m just your little ampersand.”
“Petition” is an entire town’s rally cry for the addition of Reggie Leach into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Harmonies create a united front, but the group voice is careful not to be too forceful even though they believe in their argument whole-heartedly.
An anthem for the societal underdog, “Stop Error” is a strange yet successful combination of a Johann Sebastian Bach melody with a cappella lamantations about frozen monitors, broken code, and Call of Duty 4.
This exploration of the complexities of Samson’s home turf is incredibly captivating, and definitely unlike anything you’re likely to encounter on one single record.
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