For those who live in a cave with Osama Bin Laden, John K Samson is part of The Weakerthans and The Weakerthans are a bit bloody good. This three-track EP is John’s solo work and follows on from the kind of direction the full band have headed down in recent years, albeit stripped down a bit. ‘The Last And’ is a decent starting point with its lo-fi drums and bleak vocals. It’s the kind of track you put on when it’s a wet Autumnal afternoon and the wind is hammering at your door. It’s atmospheric and interesting and not particularly instant. But then that’s not what you’re really expecting anyway. The other two tracks on this record are over in a flash – ‘Stop error’ and ‘Petition’ both fail to last longer than two and a half minutes. The latter is arguably the best track on the record. Again it’s a bit bleak, a bit folky, but the vocals offer this warm tinge to them which reminds you why it’s great to like this chap in the first place. I don’t know if I could recommend ‘Provincial Road 22‘ as a good time party record, but if you’re looking for some interesting mood music I would suggest giving it a whirl.
