THE WEAKERTHANS

Hardass that he is, Weakerthans’ multi-instrumentalist Stephen Carroll is unyielding in his band’s appropriation of the phrase Tournament of Hearts–a curling reference, and also the name of a Constantines’ album–as a pivotal tune on the band’s latest album, Reunion Tour.

"When (songwriter and guitarist) John (Samson) sent me the lyrics I said ‘Okay, it’s game on for rights to the title,’" Carroll jokingly rejoins over the phone from Winnipeg, his and Samson’s home base and the birth place of the now ten year old "folk-punk" band. "Thing is, we beat the Constantines at curling–though to be honest they’d never actually played before."

Let it be known that The Weakerthans aren’t just grabbing aimlessly for the sake of a musical metaphor–or lording it over their Ontario compatriots. Both Carroll and Samson actually handle the brush and the curling stone when in Winnipeg.

"John and I play in a league," Carroll affirms. "John was also coached by World Champion Connie Laliberte at one point. We enjoy the lore and the history, and it’s actually a very interesting mind game."

Nice explanation, Stephen. Could it be that years of being prodded by disaffected punks as being a sensitive "emo" band has finally had its effect on the Weakerthans? Are the four piece so worried about bringing out yet another song about the feline protagonist Virtute from their last album, Reconstruction Site that they have to cover it up with macho sports talk? Who writes songs about cats, anyways?

"Sure, sure. That’s why we’re fortifying ourselves with all of these hockey references and talk about curling," Carroll dryly rejoins.

The Weakerthans’ fourth album (second on punk label Epitath) finds the band laying on the references to all things Canadian thick and heavy. It’s also the work of a band in peak form, laden with shimmering melodies, and some of the band’s most adventurous musical work to date. "Night Windows" and "Sun in an Empty Room" are both steely and agonized, and "Elegy For Gump Worsley" ("Favourites from Plympton’s list of objects thrown by Rangers fans / Soup cans, persimmon, eggs / A folding chair and a dead rabbit") approaches John Prine in its terse lyrics.

Much of the musical feel of the album comes from the fact that Reunion Tour was essentially pieced together in the studio. Touring, side projects and the fact that the band is split up on geographical lines–with drummer Jason Tait and bass player Greg Smith residing in Toronto–has changed the modus operandi of the Weakerthans. The new songs that you hear during their two sold-out Myer Horowitz performances this Wednesday and Thursday reflect this change. Instead of workshopping songs during practice, many of them were shaped in the studio, with long time producer Ian Blurton having as much a hand in the final results as any of the band members.

"He’s within the project as much as we are," says Carroll. "This album was much more democratic, off the cuff and spontaneous, because we were recording some songs that we’d never played live or as a full band. Ian was shaping all of that–he probably knows more about the process of making that album than we do. Hell, we weren’t there for the mixing."