I finally got a hold of a copy of The Tragically Hip's new album, In Between Evolution. It's ripped to MP3 and I've been spinning it all morning.
In a word, it's awesome. I had heard several of the songs live on Canada Day and they felt right that night, but now that's I've been through the disc a few times I feel I can give a more thorough review.
It's solid from start to finish. There's really no weak link. When I first heard "Summer's Killing Us" about six weeks ago I was concerned it wasn't up to snuff, but hearing it under the stars on July 1st and hearing it several times today has me all turned around on the subject. It's a catchy little tune that just needs a little time to seep under your skin. I've been singing it all morning.
"Heaven Is A Better Place Today" and "It Can't Be Nashville Every Night" are just stunning compositions and "As Makeshift As We Are" and "The Heart of the Melt" just rock. "One Night In Copenhagen" contains some rare Gordie swears and it's already pretty obvious to readers of this site that I love "Vaccination Scar".
I had read a number of reviews of this album that remark it's a return to the Road Apples days. I see it differently. I see it as a wonderful extension of In Violet Light, a highly underrated disc in my opinion. In Violet Light was everything Music@Work wasn't. In other words, it was wicked good and In Between Evolution doesn't drop off a bit.
