Gallantly Streaming: The Tragically Hip Plan A Modest Reinvention

It feels like forever since there's been a new Tragically Hip record to look forward to. Part of that can be attributed to the fact that it's been about three and a half years since We Are The Same, an excruciatingly long wait for a band that had released an album every two years (give or take a few months) from 1989 to 2006. But then, part of it may be because We Are The Same was such an unremarkable album. A good album, yes, but unremarkable. It didn't try to break new ground or revisit past glories, content to mellow out and float on by, going largely unnoticed.

Now, some twenty years removed from their commercial zenith and seemingly drifting out of the mass conscience, the question begs to be asked: do The Hip still matter? It's a hard question to answer, especially for a fan who's inclined to always give The Hip the benefit of the doubt. The only way to shed light on this is to check out their twelfth album Now For Plan A, which is streaming after the jump.




Now For Plan A certainly packs more urgency than We Are The Same, with the band passing on Bob Rock's dulling effect and handing the reins to more modern-minded Gavin Brown, whose past experience includes Billy Talent and Metric. Brown's fingerprints are audible on record, but he hasn't so much given The Hip an extreme makeover as he's lent them a little something to cover up the wrinkles. There's a little bit of synth, but mostly to serve as a few seconds of ambiance here and there. It's synth used right, a non-intrusive compliment to the actual instruments.

Another notable thing about it is its focused attack; its 11 tracks blur by in under 40 minutes, with only the title track crossing the five-minute barrier. It's a telling counter to We Are The Same's long-winded tendencies in that it's practically a full side of an album shorter. Where some tracks on We Are The Same meandered, Plan A's songs cut to the chase and get out. Take The Lookahead, which conducts its business in a tidy two and a half.


Now For Plan A doesn't really have anything that jumps out and grabs you, but it carries a ton of potential growers. It puts me somewhat in mind of 2006's World Container, except with some of the more eclectic desires scaled back. Gord Downie is still more poet than lyricist, but he's aging into a more accessible enigma. It's also a more electric affair, but lest ye assume that signals anything remotely approaching their early work.

Instead, Now For Plan A is a refinement of their past decade's work; tuneful, intelligent and original. It might not add to their legacy, but that legacy was cemented more than a decade ago. Where most bands this far into a career would be treading water or downright drowning, The Tragically Hip are still learning new ways to swim. In short, The Tragically Hip may no longer be the face of Canadian rock, but they certainly still matter.

Now For Plan A is out October 2.