Ever have those dreams where you're in a fight and, no matter how hard you swing, your pathetic punches just won't connect?

So, apparently, have Winnipeg's Weakerthans. But rather than give in to subconscious ass-whupping anymore, this quartet have designed their own musical bizarro-world, where might is measured not by force but by beauty.

Like The Weakerthans' acclaimed 1998 debut, Fallow, Left And Leaving delivers soaring melodies via both rocket-propelled guitars and stark, imaginative moments of quiet.

This time, however, the band have moved beyond rock dynamics and opened up a vast sonic space, where singer-guitarist John K. Samson -- formerly of emo-core favourites Propagandhi -- can be strumming his acoustic guitar at the kitchen table one minute and out setting the prairie on fire the next. There are mournful hooks (opening track Everything Must Go!, History To The Defeated), glowing, infectious power-pop (Aside, This Is A Fire Door Never Leave Open), and steel-guitars and warbling keyboards dot the landscape between epic crescendos. Meanwhile, Samson's unassuming voice belies a lyrical intensity that grows with repeated listens. Soulful and sincere.

Recommended for fans of Huesker Due, Wilco, Fugazi, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Promise Ring, Treble Charger.

Saturday, July 22, 2000

Strong songs from Weakerthans