After over twenty years on the scene, Gordon Downie, Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Gord Sinclair, and Paul Langlois are sharp as ever. We Are the Same, the Hip’s twelfth studio album, is emotional, fervent, and brimming with the signature Hip sound — muted, harmonious, and lyrically brilliant.

If it bleeds it leads / If it cries it flies / If it feeds a need / If it dies, it dies…
Under the pillow / I bury my head and try to shut Chicago out / As it turns out there's a whole other world of sounds / Of perfect fifths low skids and Arctic howls …

Each song is a story; tales of love, youth, living, and, most appreciably, the struggle to live. From sympathy to understanding to defiance to anger to accepted sadness, the tracks flow through time and intimacy. It is all bravely revealing and touching.

The band’s first single of the record, “Love Is A First” (which stands on is own with Downie’s stylistic range and possibly the most commercially-appealing song here), is only one of several great tracks within an amazing album. The super-track, “The Depression Suite” is a complex and epic song, while “Morning Moon,” “The Last Recluse,” and “Now The Struggle Has A Name” are among some of the instant gems on this record.

As per usual for this nationally-prideful group, We Are the Same is bursting with settings, people, and sentiments close to many Canucks’ hearts. “Queen Of The Furrows” is one of the more energetic songs, which seems to fit perfectly with its basis being the “conversation city” of Toronto.

Simply put, The Tragically Hip continues to be a prime example of the power of Canadian musicianship. The band is currently touring across Canada and the US.

Track Listing:

Morning Moon
Honey, Please
The Last Recluse
Coffee Girl
Now The Struggle Has A Name
The Depressions Suite
The Exact Feeling
Queen of the Furrows
Speed River
Frozen In My Tracks
Love Is A First
Country Day