Review:

on 2011-07-13 CharlesMartel Said:

I first came to the Weakerthans through the incredible "Left and Leaving", an album with such lyrical depth that it is hard not to compare them with band such as the Waterboys and the Triffids in that regard. I was therefore expecting much from "Reconstruction Site" and while in many ways I was not disappointed, I find it to be the weaker of the two albums.

The lyrics are, once again, the strong point of the album. However, while "Left and Leaving" was a collection of songs on a variety of topics, "Reconstruction Site" has a greater coherence about it, almost to the point of it being a concept album. Three of the tracks on the album are titled in parentheses - "(Manifest)", "(Hospital Vespers)" and "(Past-Due)". These three tracks provide the start, middle and end of the album with reference points on which the rest of it hangs. This is emphasised by the fact that all three tracks have a very similar format, in terms of lyrical construction, and all have a similar melody. Not surprisingly, these three tracks form the key to the theme of the entire album.

And that theme is a depressing one - a terminally ill patient. Strange as it may seem then, but "Reconstruction Site" is more upbeat in tone and tempo than "Left and Leaving". It is almost cathartic in a way that, for some, the realisation that death is imminent is in itself uplifting and it provides a degree of certainly and puts everything else in perspective. In the same way that a depressed person seems at his most positive when he has decided to commit suicide, so this album has risen above the overall melancholic feel of "Left and Leaving" into a brighter, more positive outlook.

Once you get past the three key songs, you begin to realise that the rest of the album explores the issues of loss, grief and longing which you may expect from the subject matter. But these are not explored in the usual way. For instance "A Plea from a Cat Named Virtue" anthropomorphosises the subject's pet cat, providing it with a voice to his own alter-ego and telling him to get on with what is left of his life:

"All you ever want to do is drink and watch TV,
Frankly that thing doesn't really interest me.
I swear I'm going to bite you hard and taste your tinny blood
If you don't stop the self-defeating lies you've been repeating
Since the day you brought me home."

Indeed, the central role of the TV in the life of the patient is critical, for it transpires that it is pretty much all that is left to him and provides a diversion from his situation, as explained in "Reconstruction Site":

"Go tell the nurse to turn the TV back on,
And throw away my misery,
It never meant that much to me,
It never sent a get-well card."

And when the patient is not being introspective about his own situation, he hearkens back to regrets and unfulfilled ambitions within his life, ambitions which will never now be fulfilled. "One Great City" encapsulates these complex emotions in three, oft-repeated words:

"I..hate..Winnipeg".

And so, anyone who comes across this album will need to gain an understanding and appreciation of the lyrics to get to know it properly. Indeed, almost any review of this album will focus on the lyrics, and to an extent the music becomes subordinate. If the Weakerthans have a fault, then, it lies in the music. True, the band crosses from alt-country, to pop, to slowcore with consummate ease. But unlike "Left and Leaving" what is lacking as a truly great hook. The simple yet compelling melody of "Pamphleteer" or the raucous, foot-tapping riff of "Exiles Among Us" are missing here. And without those hooks, the album has a tendency at times to drift into the maudlin. As a consequence, "Reconstruction Site" comes across as weaker than its immediate predecessor. It is still a strong album, but its failings will not pull you back to it as often as might otherwise be expected.
Rating: 7/10