haha thanks for including a link for americans

Album is very pleasant. A lot simpler than Provincial and his Weakerthans stuff but there are some great songs on here.

I would disagree that it's in any way simpler than his earlier work. There are so many narratives weaved into this record, it's really a lot to unpack. And musically it's much more diverse than Provincial, lots of sparse moments and lots of really expansive jams. He references his body of work in so many ways as well - some of them subtle, some of them obvious - with lyrics but also with chord selections/progressions (Virtute At Rest and 17th Street are beautiful call backs to Reunion Tour).

I actually think it might be his strongest work, and I adoooooooore pretty much everything he's done. Some of these songs, nearly all of them if I'm being honest, absolutely floored me.

acad - always

And it's great, of course

Oh my goodness how did I not even know about this I love this man so much. I still hold out hope for a Weakerthans reunion.

havent stopped listening to this, it's great. lyrically just as brilliant as ever, maybe even a new high. i do miss Stephen's leads, but this isn't a Weakerthans album and we should just be happy John k is still knocking it out of the fuckin park.

Music is simpler I think, the content is actually a really welcome deviation from his more Winnipeg-focused stuff definitely.

I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be a Weakerthans album. When he came to U of T and did a lecture in 2012 he was asked whether there would be another Weakerthans record and he said yes, and that he already had a name for it. That name was definitely Winter Wheat based on all these new interviews. The timing of the breakup seems to be around the time they'd have started recording this, so it wouldn't surprise me if Stephen left either because he thought the album was more of a John K-led project or because John changed his mind and made it a solo album instead.

That's all my Weakerthans detective work for today.

...were you at that U of T lecture? that's one of my favourite videos on the internet

but yes I agree this was probably meant to be new Weakkerthans stuff. Six of one, half dozen of the other. I don't really mind.

Haven't listened to any of his stuff since Weakerthans but so far it sounds pretty similar and I love it.

flow is a bit wonky but there are some fantastic songs here, I'm satisfied

very very hyped

just in time to comfort my winter

I'm so excited

aaaaand it's great

just in time to comfort my wiener

it fucking rules