Review of Go Figure (Spirit of the West)

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Go Figure is the sixth full-length release by Canadian folk/rock band Spirit of the West. It’s a departure from their strong folk-inspired performances, and delves into a harder, rockier sound. Spirit of the West is John Mann (Guitar, Vocals), Geoffrey Kelly (Guitar, Flute, Whistles, Vocals), Hugh McMillan (Guitar, Bass, Keyboards), Vince Ditrich (Drums), Tobin Frank (Occasional Bass/Accordion).

There are a lot of positives to this album for me. The music is very strong, multilayered rock with a punch. The album kicks off with D For Democracy, in which the first line of the chorus is “Scour the House!”, a reference to the Canadian House of Parliament (that’s our Government, for the Americans in the audience). This really sets the tone for the album.

It’s also fun when an album courts controversy. The song Political, an amusing song that asks the question “Why did everything, everything, for you and me have to be so political?”, was re-recorded in rock style for this album, and while touring the album, the band was presented with a petition in my hometown of London Ontario that they play the old version of the song!

That aside, the other strong songs on the album are Goodbye Grace, an oddly sprawling song that endears itself to me in its almost lethargic style, and Far Too Canadian. This song is a scathing indictment of the Canadian state and identity. The chorus goes “I am the face of my country/Expressionless and small/Weak at the knees, shaken badly/Can’t straighten up at all/I watch the spine of my country bend and break/I am in a sorry state”. The double meaning of “state” cements this song in my mind as lyrical brilliance.

A few songs, such as Pulling Lame and Spot the Difference suffer by comparison to these four powerhouses, but they don’t detract too much from the album itself. All in all, it’s a great album, especially if you’re Canadian. Go Figure is the best Spirit of the West album I’ve heard to date, and that’s why you should listen to it.