Review Summary: Bittersweet, as it should be.
Following the diagnosis of Tragically Hip frontman Gordon Downie with terminal brain cancer, three things were certain: The band would release one more record, against all odds they would tour that record across Canada, and Downie would not recover. Thousands of hearts broke simultaneously as there was now a timer on the life of one of the most important Canadian icons of the last 20+ years. With this comes a flurry of emotions. A flurry perhaps not better paralleled than with
Man Machine Poem, their 14th and final record. The band’s sound has evolved naturally from year to year, so further departure from their original brand of radio rock was to be expected, however, for better or for worse, nobody could have expected this.
On
Man Machine Poem, we hear Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene fame’s production subtly compliment Downie’s vocal range and the bands reliable, guitar driven tempos. What we get is a haunting and emotional encore from Canada’s favourite musical act. Lead single
Tired as F*ck is moving, catchy, and fun. Its verses and chorus’ sound like they exist in different worlds but Drew finds a way to make them dance in sync for musical bliss.
In a World Possessed by the Human Mind provides rare insight into Downie’s personal life. To hear such a notoriously closed man open up on his final record is enough to give you chills. On
Great Soul, a monotonous first half sets up one of the most incredible moments in The Tragically Hip’s entire discography. Gordon Downie’s voice rises and rises, asking big questions and looking inward and outward while his vocal chords strain. Ballads
In Sarnia and
What Blue provide the romanticism Downie has excelled at over the years, while
Here in the Dark and
Hot Mic offer more traditional Hip songs that are upbeat rockers you’d expect from the band.
Bookends
Man and
Machine give the album context. They set and collapse the stage.
Man is an opener void of traditional structure, more concerned with building atmosphere and late in the song a “woo” from Downie harkens back to the moans and screams on fan favourite
Grace, Too from their 1994 record
Day For Night. Machine is a reflective, memorable full band effort and a fitting closer.
Ocean Next is the closest the album gets to “Kid A” territory. Unfortunately, this is also the one time the production slips. Its watery production and slow build to almost nothing holds it back and bogs down the flow of the record.
In some ways, the record suffers from an identity crisis. It’s reasonable to assume that it was written both before and after his diagnosis, and so from that you get a mixed bag, conceptually speaking. At the same time, perhaps this is a good thing. Surely another typical radio rock record would be a let down considering the circumstances. On the other hand, an album dealing exclusively with the inevitable end would be far too draining to warrant repeated listens. It’s a delicate line that the band manages to balance gracefully.
Man Machine Poem is the most emotional, complex, and divisive Tragically Hip record to date. The bands steady performance and Kevin Drew’s unique, atmospheric production work in tandem to create a backdrop for Gordon Downie’s poetic lyricism and powerful vocal delivery. A beautiful and bittersweet end for a legendary Canadian icon.
