1. Civil Twilight **
2. Hymn of the Medical Oddity
3. Relative Surplus Value
4. Tournament of Hearts **
5. Virtue the Cat Explains Her Departure **
6. Elegy for Gump Worsley
7. Sun in an Empty Room
8. Night Windows
9. Bigfoot
10. Reunion Tour **
11. Utilities

**Clear Favorites

I wish I could say I listened to indie music more, and that I was well versed in it. Truly I wish I could, but the fact of the matter is I am an outsider to the genré and as such, my opinion here is literally just that: opinion. I’m not saying that all my other music reviews are based on scientifically music-based fact, but at the very least I know what I like and dislike and can compare it to something. The closest thing I can compare The Weakerthans’ new album, Reunion Tour, would probably be The Shins or Bright Eyes. Please don’t send me hate mail for being unable to notice the subtle differences that separate these artists. I don’t see them and I don’t really care.

I listened to the album a couple times through, and i sort of realized that many indie music singers don’t sing so much as talk in tone. It’s neat for the first little while, but gets old after 3 or 4 tracks. Would it kill them to actually sing one or two? You know, just to shake it up a little? This point alone is enough for me to strip out any tracks I didn’t like and fling the others into nothingness. Even my favorite tracks are only favorites in true comparison to the other ones. The only ones I truly liked would be Civil Twilight Reunion Tour and Tournament of Hearts. Somewhat depressing really, since I can tell this is a solid album in some sense.

To try and bring an upswing to this review, I have noticed that if I am not focused on the album itself, it does make fairly good background music, so long as you keep it lower then the conversation volume. That would probably explain why I’ve heard Civil Twilight in coffee shops. It’s pleasing and simple, and doesn’t require the listener pay too much heed to it. I know that’s not much of a compliment, but let me clarify. What I’m trying to say is that this album is fairly quiet and laid back and I will admit makes fairly solid background work music. I have found in the past that this album will come on and I’ll be 8 songs in before I realize what I’m listening to. In that respect it’s a great album.

Though I will give this album a rating, it really comes down to a personal preference. I can’t really bash it for being what it is, but I can state that it was not within my scope of regular listening. Does that make it a bad album? Hell no, but it’s not going to be on my favorites list.

6/10