The Tragically Hip’s twenty-year trajectory has brought them to the heights of Canada’s rock hierarchy via a dozen albums and a stadium-ready stance that’s kept them at the top of their game. World Container is their latest bid for world domination, a follow-up to Hipeponymous, 2005’s 37-song, two-CD/two-DVD, limited edition boxed set that adroitly summed up the band’s career to that point. Anyone seeking an apt intro would be well advised to pick up both albums concurrently to get a glimpse of where they’re coming from and more importantly, where they’re headed next. For its part, the new album signals a toughened stance, given that practically every track rocks with a brazen, tumultuous, and unabashed anthemic fury. “Yer Not The Ocean” opens the set with forthright determination, segueing effectively into the tempestuous “The Lonely End Of The Rink” to create a visceral one-two punch. The spiraling rhythms and catchy chorus of “In View” makes it a reliable choice for the album’s first single and, along with the majestic reach of the title track and the uncharacteristic lilt and sway of “Pretend,” it provides a rare respite from the otherwise unrelenting propulsion. It seems appropriate that the Who will be joined by the Hip on the next phase of their U.S. tour; given the content of World Container, a more compatible match-up would be hard to imagine.
~ Lee Zimmerman
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