Jim Bryson and The Weakerthans - The Falcon Lake Incident

I first encountered Jim Bryson when Peter and Grant from No Depression booked him onto their SXSW showcase probably ten years ago now. His first two records with his band The Occasionals are well worth seeking out. If you're a Kathleen Edwards fan, you may be aware that he has long anchored her backing band. By the time record number three dropped in 2007 he was also touring as fifth man for The Weakerthans. It seemed to be a wise pairing and I figured that would cross Bryson over but the show he played at Rockwood to me, his wife and the bartender might speak otherwise. I didn't like said number three, Where The Bungalows Roam, as much as the first two, but it was a solid record and I figured that the Weakerthans gig would fire him up for a great follow-up.

I'm not sure that's the case. The Falcon Incident is a decent record, but it's a little too innocuous for my tastes. Bryson was never a 'rocker' per se, but in the way that his compatriots in The Weakerthans are not 'punk'.TFI reminds me a lot of the SNL bit with Andy Samberg as Jack Johnson where everything is super mellow. That is not to equate the two. While I'm not over the moon about The Falcon Incident, it is light years better than anything that douche nozzle has ever dropped. The record was recorded at two cabins at said Falcon Lake, the sight of an infamous Canadian UFO incident, in the dead of winter. The band would record a couple hours a day, then ice fish or snowshoe or whatever masochistic people do outside in the winter. Either way, I could have dealt with a little more of a fire up their collective behinds of the crew and at the end of the day The Falcon Incident is just a little public radio for me. This will sell tons in Canada regardless, but I'm glad I didn't pay import prices to get this. It's still worth a listen if you enjoy either party. Pick it up here from Epitaph.

R