MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: JOHN K SAMSON - PROVINCIAL

Separated from his brethren in The Weakerthans, Samson gets a touch softer and more acoustic, although not a whole lot.  The focus is therefore a bit more on the words, and since he's been anointed the poet of his alt-generation, Canuck-wise, it all fits.  I'm down with that  There are some beauties here, whole songs and individual lines.

More so than most, Samson's songs read like poems, especially following the lyric sheet.  However, they also fit firmly as songs.  One never gets the feeling the words are being forced into the music, and he has a strong ability to find a melody, meter, and arrangement that works for each.

Samson can still rock it too.  Cruise Night bops along on a good groove and Doug MacGregor's big beat, and I think that's a Shotgun Jimmy scorching lead break.  When I Write My Master's Thesis is a nerd version of School's Out, and sure to put a smile on anyone's mug who went post-secondary.  And Longitudinal Centre couldn't get any louder, so don't worry about this being a calm solo outing, it's a good mix.

Wit abounds as well, with my favourite being his song www.ipetitions.com/petition/rivertonrifle/, which is a look at the efforts to get Riverton, Maniitoba's Reggie Leach inducted into the NHL Hall Of Fame.  Could anyone else turn THAT into a song?  It's another great addition to the growing canon of hockey-rock tunes.  Well played, JKS.