Falcon Lake Incident

Something a little creepier than this would have made for a more intriguing and fitting listen. The Falcon Lake Incident is, after all, named for a 1967 UFO sighting in Manitoba (and it's also where Jim Bryson and the Weakerthans convened to record). Instead we get typically pleasant and reliable Bryson folk songs, save a crashing, clattering closing track. Make no mistake: this is definitely more a Bryson album than a 50/50 collaboration. His voice and acoustic guitar are always at the forefront. It's not until halfway in that we get something that instrumentally resembles the Weakerthans' canon. Like Old Man Luedecke, Bryson is at his best when he's singing about people getting together: New Year's Eve revelers on Anything And All, a couple sleeping under the stars in Constellation, a family reunion for Kissing Cousins. These aren't the sort of songs you should listen to alone; they're meant for times of interaction. It's surprising how warm and inviting the Falcon Lake Incident is, considering it was turned out by five dudes in a cabin in minus 30 degree Celsius temperatures. It's a tame affair, but earworms like the mutating chorus of Metal Girls will keep you coming back.