The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site

Play the video at the bottom of this post to read along with the music!
Reconstruction Site is a bold, painfully honest release by Canadian group The Weakerthans. This album embodies the encounters of a grown man with the occasional train-of-thought of a child. Lyrically, Reconstruction Site delivers a message that anyone can relate to.

The first track, (Manifest), contains a tangled bunch of words with meaning to those who look for it. The song is an excellent album opener, complete with a horn section and the feeling of sarcastic optimism towards the end.

The Reasons kicks things off to a start, describing the relationship between two companions. The chorus repeats “I know/you might roll your eyes at this/but I’m so/glad that you exist”, and the ending of the song really opens the gate toward the rest of the album.

Reconstruction Site (song) embodies the deep thought process of a man in the world, citing memories of his. This is the ultimate storytelling song, bringing back memories throughout his life. The instrumentation displays these references very well, with several riffs reminiscent of Barenaked Ladies.

Psalms For The Elks Lodge Last Call seems to depict an older man’s thought process as he sits inside of an Elks Lodge, thinking about the inevitable. The guitars in this song are very well-written, and the vocal harmonies and auxiliary percussion bring a new feeling towards the end.

Plea From A Cat Named Virtute is one of my personal favorite tracks on this album. The lyrics are written through the eyes of a cat. The cat notices its owner dwelling in depression, and offers suggestions on ways to quit being down in the dumps. The chorus in this song is exceedingly catchy.

Our Retired Explorer briefly describes the story of an explorer in Antarctica who dies while on an expedition. Several references to exploration authors are made here.

Time’s Arrow is a nice break from the preceding high-strung tracks. It serves as a very nice breath of fresh air. The lead guitar in this song really helps make the song, and the drum pattern during parts of the chorus help to keep the listeners’ attention this far into the album.

No song has represented the service in a hospital like (Hospital Vespers) does. The lyrics describe a man staying with a companion of his while under treatment, as the treated person’s life comes to an end.

Uncorrected Proofs seems to tell the story of two people who can’t hold a relationship together because of colliding interests and life interfering. Listen to the chorus in this song, this band has a way with being catchy.

A New Name For Everything seems to depict a person who never has fully lived their life in the way they’ve wanted to. A lot of cool little guitar parts are in here, some sound like a slide guitar, which has never sounded so good until now. The Weakerthans continue the formula that they’ve perfected.

One Great City! seems to be a personal insight of Winnipeg. Several situations around the region are described in this song. It’s a really good song to relax to, and provides a chuckle or two at some points.

Benediction is more of the same classic Weakerthans formula, with some flashy female vocal duet parts, this song didn’t really do too much for me.

The Prescience of Dawn wraps up a lonely man’s struggles into a four-and-a-half minute song. These lyrics can get hard to decipher sometimes, but they make sense when they’re listened to, it seems.

(Past Due) is a rendition of (Manifest), with a more electronic sound to it, and it wraps up the album nicely by introducing the end as similar to the beginning, but with a little room for change. Maybe the lyrics have shown this too.


Overall, The Weakerthans’ Reconstruction Site provides a good listen. It occasionally trails on, especially toward the end, when some of the songs start to sound the same. The lyrics and vocals are probably one of the best parts of this band. Personally, I think it makes good driving music, mostly for longer car trips.


The Damage:

3 out of 5 Mustaches