There’s no secret here; if you like The Weakerthans, you will have already bought this. If you’ve never heard of The Weakerthans, this could be a great way to get into them. John K. Samson fronts the previously mentioned, northern-neighbor rock band responsible for several excellent albums over the last ten years or so. This short 7” (City Route 85) marks his second foray into solo work and it is a quite, contemplative piece of audio that takes you on a very personal tour of a specific area in Canada.

“Heart of the Continent” sounds akin to some of the most stripped down Weakerthans tunes. Think “Left and Leaving” or “One Great City!”. It even has a similar walking bass line plucked along on an acoustic guitar. This tune was probably meant to make it onto one of the band’s albums but found a better lyrical home on this EP. “Grace General” and “Cruise Night” sound a bit like Samson breaking from the constraints of his band and writing much more for himself. “Grace General” sounds so close and intimate, almost like Samson is sharing a secret with you. “Cruise Night” bobs along on a simple plastic-straw drumbeat reminiscent of Onelinedrawing’s older work. I can almost imagine the 1989 Casio keyboard that was most likely used…it was probably missing a few keys, just like mine.

This is a beautiful effort from John K. Samson and the kind of record you feel privileged to hear. This is a master showcasing his talents in their barest and most honest form. I just hope this is a teaser for an upcoming full-length…

Label: Anti-

John K. Samson “Grace General”