Constantines - Tournament of Hearts

Constantines
Tournament of Hearts
Sub Pop Records
Grade: A-

An early major player in the recent Canadian indie rock explosion, the Constantines offer a new set of ten songs to get your Bruce Springsteen-colored indie reviving. Outside of Canada, the Constantines – consisting of Bryan Webb (vocals/guitar), Steve Lambke (vocals/guitar), Dallas Wehrle (bass), Will Kidman (keyboards) and Doug MacGregor (drums) – first made their splash with 2003’s Shine A Light for Sub Pop. A year later Sub Pop re-released the band’s 2001 self-titled record which helped explain what all the big fuss was about. The meantime has found the band touring every which way with everyone including like-minded folks the Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse. Tournament of Hearts comes off as a more tempered approach where the tempo is generally slowed and moves are explicitly directed. This diminished emphasis on punk, or as some may contend the Fugazi-part of the band, for the Constantines has created a considerably more constant and solid record overall. Yet, the unintended side effect is that few of the songs are the type to catch your ear on the first listen. Among the songs to take notice of, though, “Draw Us Lines,” “Soon Enough,” “You Are a Conductor” and “Hotline Operator” stand out from the rest. Tournament of Hearts can provide an effective working aide when you need that good background rock, but it is unlikely to rock your pants clear off.