{"id":26597,"date":"2016-10-25T12:52:47","date_gmt":"2016-10-25T20:52:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=26597"},"modified":"2016-10-25T16:08:08","modified_gmt":"2016-10-26T00:08:08","slug":"great-news-for-literate-music-lovers-the-weakerthans-john-k-samson-releases-sensational-second-solo-album-winter-wheat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2016-10\/great-news-for-literate-music-lovers-the-weakerthans-john-k-samson-releases-sensational-second-solo-album-winter-wheat\/","title":{"rendered":"Great News For Literate Music-Lovers: The Weakerthans’ John K. Samson Releases Sensational Second Solo Album “Winter Wheat”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We were always weak in the knees for<\/strong><\/a> The Weakerthans<\/strong>. Though that band is on indefinite hiatus (i.e. kaput), its singer\/songwriter\/leader John K. Samson<\/strong><\/a> has just released his sensational second solo album entitled, Winter Wheat<\/strong><\/em>, which is available now from Epitaph\/ANTI<\/strong><\/a>. We have been anxiously awaiting Winter Wheat<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0since\u00a0Samson’s<\/strong> sublime debut album, Provincial<\/strong><\/em>, was No. 3<\/strong> on our Best Albums of 2012<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Samson’s<\/strong> songs are always phenomenally well-crafted (especially true of his oft-poetic lyrics) and never fail to affect, particularly as matched with his evocative vocals that inevitably engender an emotional response from listeners. Our first listens to Winter Wheat<\/strong> lead us to believe that the album will once again place very highly on our Best Albums of 2016<\/strong> list.<\/p>\n

Word is that the album was inspired by “the search for connection and community, his hometown of Winnipeg, and our individual and collective struggles with addictions to drugs, screens, and fossil fuels.” Several of the album’s songs were further inspired by Neil Young\u2019s<\/strong> seminal On the Beach<\/strong> <\/em>album. Winter Wheat <\/strong><\/em>was produced by Samson\u2019s<\/strong> partner and frequent-collaborator, Christine Fellows<\/strong>, and backed by his Weakerthans<\/strong> rhythm section (Jason Tait<\/strong> and Greg Smith<\/strong>), Leanne Zacharias<\/strong> on cello, and Shotgun Jimmie<\/strong> on electric guitar.<\/p>\n

As usual, Samson’s<\/strong> songs tell literate stories of loss, longing and lift. Postdoc Blues<\/strong>\u00a0“<\/em>follows an aging student struggling to maintain faith in the possibility of a better world.” Fellow Traveller<\/strong> <\/em>is a take-off “on the life of the British art critic and Soviet spy Anthony Blunt.” Oldest Oak at Brookside<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0aspires to capture 150 years of Winnipeg\u2019s history. And the recurring\u00a0Virtute the Cat<\/strong> makes a return for her final appearances in 17th Street Treatment Centre<\/strong> and the grievous\u00a0Virtute at Rest.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Though the entire album is a tour de force and a songwriter’s treasure trove, on first listen our favorite songs are the devastating Select All Delete<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(with its lines “I don\u2019t mean to miss the good old days. The good old days were mostly bad.\u201d)\u00a0and the castigating Vampire Alberta Blues<\/strong><\/em> (with its re-purposing of\u00a0Neil Young’s Vampire Blues<\/em><\/strong> and its scintillating homage to Young’s\u00a0<\/strong>guitar-playing that\u00a0starts at 2:34). Oh and Capital <\/strong><\/em>and every single song on the album are favorites too.<\/p>\n

Do yourselves a favor and go buy the vinyl\u00a0HERE<\/strong> <\/a>or a digital copy HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As an added bonus, check out the sanguine lyrics to Alpha Adept<\/strong><\/em> at bottom. \u00a0So very good.<\/p>\n