We Are The Same - Critic Reviews

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We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - Tthip - 04-05-2009

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/630375.html">http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainmen ... 30375.html</a>

Über Hip
By Jeff Miers
The Buffalo News
4 out of 4 stars

Dear, sweet music. You loved her once, a long time ago.

You whispered sweet nothings in her ear, courted her with chivalry, promised Paris but delivered a suburb in Podunk, grew lazy and inattentive, cultivated a beer belly, left her at home while you went off chasing the newest, glitzy young thing with your equally loyalty-challenged buddies. You will not have the right to claim hurtful surprise when she finally ups and leaves you. You had it coming.

If it’s the truth that we have marked this moment in the “everyone can do it, anywhere, at any time” phase of music’s creation and dissemination with a failure to place any real cultural value on the music itself, then it would logically follow that the artists will fall into line and dutifully churn out music that doesn’t matter.

Most have done exactly this, and who can blame them? Times are tough, and hedging one’s bets isn’t exactly a radical approach these days.

The Tragically Hip, however, have opted for the oftnamechecked, but rarely chosen “path less traveled.” The Canadian band’s 12th studio album, “We Are the Same,” is its most ambitious, detail-oriented and cleanly rendered effort to date. In an era when plowing the same furrow ad infinitum has been elevated to a virtue, the Hip has instead built with its own hands a gorgeous, fragile crystal city and placed it at the top of a wind-swept hill. There it sits, shimmering, naked to the elements, but unafraid.

The band has reinvented itself. We had no right to expect as much.

The signs were there, and are clear now, in the forgiving glow of hindsight. When the Hip teamed with producer Bob Rock a few years back, in service of the watershed “World Container” album, it seemed that the breath of new life was filling the band’s lungs. “Container” contained all that the revered northern quintet had been cultivating for its twin decades together –the sinewy guitar interplay, the nonsense-free rhythmic/melodic oomph of the rhythm section, the “surrealism for the common man” approach to lyric writing that has made singer Gordon Downie an idiosyncratic genius. Producer Rock added muscle, helped the group fortify its melodic fortress and brought out the best in the band.

If “World Container” at the very least reached the high watermark left by the group’s previous best – say “Road Apples,” “Fully Completely” and “Trouble At the Hen House,” or pick your own favorites, if you must –it also suggested that there was much good work left to be done. An optimist might have felt the twinge of new beginings, even if the more rational mind insisted that the Hip had nothing to prove, and could simply rewrite “New Orleans Is Sinking” once or twice per album for the rest of its days without offending anyone.

“We Are the Same” blows all of this conjecture out of the water. It’s more than a brave record from a band that could easily coast from today ‘til retirement –it’s a necessary record, one that goes above and beyond.

Once again teaming with Rock, Downie, guitarists Paul Langlois and Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay tapped a rich, free-flowing vein, then stood back and let it bleed. When the last drop had hit the floor, the Hip had an unequivocal masterpiece on its hands, a record that is its most musically pleasing, adventurous and heart-rending. Pastoral and forward-looking in equal measure, “We Are the Same” boasts country-folk paeans, glittering post-modern shards of glass, deftly rendered epics, a dash or two of Zeppelin-esque rock, even a song suite that presents a three-movement meditation on a theme. It begins as night turns to day, with “Morning Moon” answering a child’s question –something like “Daddy, how come I can still see the moon when the sun is up?”— to the lilting sway of “Harvest”-era Neil Young. The album concludes with another dawn, this time one heralding a “Country Day,” as a blank slate with endless possibility just sitting there like an unused piece of chalk.

In between, the musicians employ subtlety as the sixth band member, whether it’s with the tapestry of acoustic/electric guitar interplay rooting “Honey, Please,” the elegiac slide runs snaking their way through the threnodic ache of “The Last Recluse,” the “Beck’s got nothin’ on us” post-hip hop drummer’s strut pushing the “Coffee Girl” down the street on her way to work or the full band getting its hands dirty, building a monument to the beauty of the “Queen of the Furrows,” out of nothing but straw and hay.

All of this is achieved without you really noticing it, until about the third time through the record, when you realize that it now owns your soul, like it or not. (And I suspect a good many Hip fans won’t; this is music to dream to, not drink beer to, no offense to anyone intended. There are really beautiful string arrangements going on, sparse orchestration in service of a storyteller’s volition. How will it play in arenas? Powerfully, I expect, but only if the listener accepts change and growth as both good and necessary.)

Atop all of this, Downie delivers his finest lyrics and strongest vocal melodies yet. The seeds of these were planted back in “Ahead By A Century,” sprouted over the years into “Bobcaygeon,” “It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken,” “World Container’s” title song, and now, come fully into bloom with “Now the Struggle Has A Name,” quite possibly the strongest, most viscerally imaginative and imagistic song in the Hip canon.

The theme of all of these songs is empathy, compassion, engagement, or as Downie says on the band’s Web site, “(M)e and you; him and her; the little things that we say to each other each day, and even the things we withhold. Our thoughts dwell on the people in our lives a lot more than we admit; we’re always trying to relate, to make a connection.”

With a band at the peak of its collective power roiling beneath him, Downie’s lyrics are simultaneously felt and heard. There is now no separation between form and content.

“We Are the Same” is like a love letter, one that begins Dear, sweet music…

<a href="mailto:jmiers@buffnews.com">jmiers@buffnews.com</a>

Re: We Are The Same - Reviews - Tthip - 04-05-2009

by Roy-at-tth
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.edmontonsun.com/Entertainment/Music/2009/04/05/9008746-sun.html">http://www.edmontonsun.com/Entertainmen ... 6-sun.html</a>

TRAGICALLY HIP
We Are The Same
Can-Rock
Edmonton Sun
Rating: 3 out of 5

Yes they are. And no they aren't.

The title of The Tragically Hip's 11th studio album suggests the Kingston Can-Rock veterans haven't changed a bit. That's true -- in terms of their lineup, anyway. Singer Gord Downie, guitarists Paul Langlois and Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay are all present and accounted for once again.

The songs, however, have not remained the same. This earthy 12-song disc actually marks something of a departure from the band's dependable trademark mix of arena-rock muscle and indie-rock quirk. Despite being helmed once again by superstar producer Bob Rock, this is a moodier, rootsier, quieter and prettier affair than usual, with slower songs, more acoustic guitars and plenty of strings. Heck, Downie even reins in his anxious yelp and outpatient ranting most of the time in favour of more personal lyrics and a more intimate delivery.

Whether they've strayed too far from their fans' comfort zone remains to be seen. But whatever happens, you have to give them some credit for not just dishing out the same-old same-old.

---

Morning Moon 4:03

Lightly fingerpicked folk guitars herald a gentle breeze of warm country-rock, tastefully decorated with twangy jangling licks and sweetened with strings. Take off your shoes and relax.

Honey, Please 4:01

A tom-tom beat and restrained guitars hold down the bottom. Fluttery mandolins and a weepy slide solo float over top. Gord croons romantically. It all adds up to an understated rocker.

The Last Recluse 3:49

Shimmery and lush, this midtempo ballad doesn't have much to recommend it. Downie's sincere-but-swoopy vocal and some boomy backups will stick in your head, though.

Coffee Girl 3:46

Between the gently shuffling gait, the rubbery guitar and Downie's dusty vocal, this almost sounds like the "classic Beck" tune that Gord mentions in the lyrics -- but with a trumpet solo.

Now the Struggle Has a Name 6:05

The beginning -- a mournful slide guitar set to a strummed acoustic -- sounds almost like Skynyrd. Of course, once Gord and the rich strings come in, nobody will feel like shouting Freebird!

The Depression Suite 9:28

"Are you going through something?" asks Downie "I am too." We're not quite sure what -- but it comes with lightly chugging guitars and sweeping strings on the band's longest song to date. Not that it really needs to be.

The Exact Feeling 3:56

After the rambling epic of The Depression Suite, this subtle rocker built from a midtempo beat and treated guitars feels pretty sluggish and forgettable.

Queen of the Furrows 4:12

More acoustic guitars and mandolin, and then surprise! It actually rocks out after a couple of minutes. Power chords! A smoking wah-wah solo! About damn time.

Speed River 4:28

"Give me a dose of the hard stuff," insists Gord. The band doesn't quite oblige -- but this jangly little pop-rocker is still pretty upbeat. Now we're getting somewhere.

Frozen in My Tracks 4:04

The verses are suitably chilly. But on the choruses, the tune explodes into a giant rock waltz with stadium-sized whoa-ho vocals. This disc seems seriously backloaded.

Love is a First 3:44

Another shapeshifter that starts out slow and chimy, then cranks up into a punchy rocker with a killer chorus. Downie even fires off a decent little rant about love in the middle.

Country Day 5:19

This blend of earthy country, rich orchestration and crunchy guitars almost sounds like Jimmy Webb. "Things are finally clicking," brays Gord. We only wish they'd started clicking earlier.

Re: We Are The Same - Reviews - Tthip - 04-05-2009

by direwolf74
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.bullz-eye.com/cdreviews/carver/the_tragically_hip-we_are_the_same.htm">http://www.bullz-eye.com/cdreviews/carv ... e_same.htm</a>

The Tragically Hip:
We Are the SameAlternative Rock/Rock/
Americana2009Buy the CD
Reviewed by Neil Carver

After 26 years together, 11 studio albums and a reputation as one of the best live shows ever, it is a true sign of greatness that the Tragically Hip’s 12th album sounds as fresh, strong and relevant as anything they’ve ever done.

We Are the Same continues where 2006’s World Container left off, still growing the "big sound" brought about by their ongoing association with producer Bob Rock. Where World Container pushed them to the higher and harder edges of anthemic rock, they clearly haven’t forgotten their country influences and lush arrangements. "Morning Moon" starts off with quiet acoustic strumming that bursts into full country electric paralleling the dawn sun that illuminates its cold sister. Gordon Downing states it plainly, "The sun is a light bulb and the moon is a mirror," one that reflects our disappointments but still lights up our hopes.

Paul Langlois and Rob Baker continue to excel in creating a wonderfully layered, glittering wash of guitars that are most evident on songs like "Honey, Please" and "Coffee Girl," the most pop, and arguably best two tracks on the album. In balance to the upbeat and powerfully emotive music the lyrics on We Are the Same move away from an introspective bent, taking a more commentary role on the wider world. This unblinking but never harsh study of the state of life is the key theme throughout We Are the Same. This comes to a focus on the longest tracks at the center of the album, "Now the Struggle Has a Name" and "The Depression Suite." These songs pass no judgments on what is seen because the Hip aren’t standing outside and looking in. Our lives are their lives. "Are you going through something? Cause I am too. Gimme gimme gimme an opportunity," sings Downing, standing alongside everyone whose life has been turned upside down by the last decade of war and economic upheaval.

Not that they’ve failed to recognize what is good and rewarding in life. No matter what difficulties they might see, the Hip haven’t forgotten the beauty of the ordinary life lived and loved well. "Queen of the Furrows" is a beautiful and rocking guitar ballad sung to the ideal farmer’s wife. In fact, both of the songs focusing on love are the hardest rocking of them all. "Love Is a First" is a spoken and shouted refutation of disillusionment and an adamant statement on the generative power of love.

We Are the Same comes full circle with the closing track "Country Day." Here they draw a conclusion to what was started with "Morning Moon." Whatever hopes and doubts began in that sunrise, here we find the satisfaction and resolve of the everyman who has worked hard for another day and looks forward to the challenges and possibilities that the next morning will bring. We Are the Same works like that. Put it on repeat and let it cycle through. That is when you realize that this is the soundtrack for all of us, day in and day out. It tells all of our stories with a realistic eye, poignant joy and a happy enthusiasm that belies the age of cynicism it chronicles. The Tragically Hip find a way to sound young after a quarter of a century because they have outgrown the angst and youthful rage most would direct at our times and focus on what is truly important. We should all listen closely

Re: We Are The Same - Reviews - Tthip - 04-05-2009

<a class="postlink" href="http://top40-charts.com/news/Alternative/Working-Class-Poets-(Rolling-Stone">http://top40-charts.com/news/Alternativ ... ling-Stone</a>)-The-Tragically-Hip-Craft-An-Ode-To-Everyman-On-New-Album/46224.html
'Working-Class Poets' (Rolling Stone) The Tragically Hip Craft An Ode To Everyman On New Album
share

New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - The Tragically Hip have crafted a guitar-drenched ode to everyman on 'We are the Same', their new album out April 7 on Rounder Records.
Featuring relaxed tempos and a mix of electric and acoustic arrangements, 'We are the Same' reconciles melancholy, anger, and optimism amid driving guitars and unforgettable melodies, epitomizing what Rolling Stone called The Hip's 'boundless ambition in making honest rock & roll.'

The easygoing, country-inflected opening track, 'Morning Moon,' follows a man's search for 'one little thing to make you feel better' in the course of the day.
The infectious 'Coffee Girl' reminisces over a 'beautiful and disaffected' diner waitress, while the driving, mandolin-tinged 'Queen of the Furrows' professes love for a quiet but industrious farmhand.

Listen to 'Morning Moon' here: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.myspace.com/thetragicallyhip">http://www.myspace.com/thetragicallyhip</a>

As with their critically-acclaimed 2007 album 'World Container,' 'We Are The Same' was produced by Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith, Motley Crue), who orchestrated the dense sonic textures that surround these tales of love, aspiration, and struggle. Hip frontman Gordon Downie told the Calgary Herald that 'I've met a lot of mystics and oracles of the production world, but I've never met anyone like Bob Rock.'
'We Are The Same' is the twelfth studio album from the Kingston, Ontario quintet, and plans are in the works for a spring/summer U.S. tour

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - Roy-at-tth - 04-05-2009

nice consolidation man. Thanks!

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - Great Waiting List - 04-05-2009

This is awesome, I seriously can't wait to hear this album on monday night!

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - chris - 04-05-2009

Great idea Dana! Thanks.

Re: We Are The Same - Reviews - screw_ball - 04-05-2009

Tthip Wrote:The title of The Tragically Hip's 11th studio album suggests the Kingston Can-Rock veterans haven't changed a bit.

Ummm... I think this guy missed the point.

Re: We Are The Same - Reviews - direwolf74 - 04-05-2009

screw_ball Wrote:
Tthip Wrote:The title of The Tragically Hip's 11th studio album suggests the Kingston Can-Rock veterans haven't changed a bit.
Ummm... I think this guy missed the point.

Definitely. Darryl Sterdan has been reviewing albums for quite some time now. Generally I tend to agree with a lot of his reviews, as he and I seem to share similar tastes. But I disagree with a lot of his WATS review. He complains that The Depression Suite is too long, but for me that song doesn't drag at all. In fact those 9 minutes fly by rather quickly when I listen to it. At least he gives them credit for trying something different on this album.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - direwolf74 - 04-05-2009

I really like these bits from the Buffalo review. This guy totally gets it:

In an era when plowing the same furrow ad infinitum has been elevated to a virtue, the Hip has instead built with its own hands a gorgeous, fragile crystal city and placed it at the top of a wind-swept hill. There it sits, shimmering, naked to the elements, but unafraid.

Once again teaming with Rock, Downie, guitarists Paul Langlois and Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay tapped a rich, free-flowing vein, then stood back and let it bleed. When the last drop had hit the floor, the Hip had an unequivocal masterpiece on its hands, a record that is its most musically pleasing, adventurous and heart-rending.

All of this is achieved without you really noticing it, until about the third time through the record, when you realize that it now owns your soul, like it or not. (And I suspect a good many Hip fans won’t; this is music to dream to, not drink beer to, no offense to anyone intended. There are really beautiful string arrangements going on, sparse orchestration in service of a storyteller’s volition. How will it play in arenas? Powerfully, I expect, but only if the listener accepts change and growth as both good and necessary.)

Re: We Are The Same - Reviews - chris - 04-05-2009

screw_ball Wrote:
Tthip Wrote:The title of The Tragically Hip's 11th studio album suggests the Kingston Can-Rock veterans haven't changed a bit.
Ummm... I think this guy missed the point.

Unless he is actually writing about their 11th studio album aka World Container... nah, doesn't work there either.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - screw_ball - 04-05-2009

Yeah, the whole interview is pretty painful to read. Gives the worst possible descriptions to every song, etc. The Buffalo guy may possibly be the worst writer in music journalism since Brent DiCrescenzo (made infamous by this review) at least he understands what the band is trying to do, which is something different. Sometimes I wish they'd never have made UTH or FC or even DFN...

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - chris - 04-05-2009

screw_ball Wrote:Yeah, the whole interview is pretty painful to read. Gives the worst possible descriptions to every song, etc. The Buffalo guy may possibly be the worst writer in music journalism since Brent DiCrescenzo (made infamous by this review) at least he understands what the band is trying to do, which is something different. Sometimes I wish they'd never have made UTH or FC or even DFN...

I think you mean the Edmonton Sun reviewer... the Buffalo guy gets it.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - WesleyC. - 04-05-2009

Buffalo good
Edmonton bad

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - screw_ball - 04-05-2009

chris Wrote:
screw_ball Wrote:Yeah, the whole interview is pretty painful to read. Gives the worst possible descriptions to every song, etc. The Buffalo guy may possibly be the worst writer in music journalism since Brent DiCrescenzo (made infamous by this review) at least he understands what the band is trying to do, which is something different. Sometimes I wish they'd never have made UTH or FC or even DFN...
I think you mean the Edmonton Sun reviewer... the Buffalo guy gets it.

I know that. He's still a terrible writer.