The first song to (apparently) leak from the last Weakerthans album, Reconstruction Site, was a stripped down version of the title track. Whether it was a solo live performance from frontman John K. Samson or an early demo, I don’t know; all I know was that when I first heard it, I didn’t like it. The refined, intelligent not-exactly-punk the Winnipeg band was known for had disappeared, and in its place was a vaguely uncomfortable try at Jack Johnson territory. Even the long and winding narratives sounded forced; it was like the band had lost everything that made them special. And of course there was a giant warning sign: for their third album, the Weakerthans left the comfort of G7 for Epitaph, a much higher profile American label. Considering Samson’s long history with G7, in both the Weakerthans and the much more aggressive and political punk band Propagandhi, a change of label is a pretty big move. Was it an attempt to go big, and if so, would it work? Early evidence wasn’t promising.

A couple of years after that first demo, however, and it’s pretty obvious that Reconstruction Site has earned its place alongside the rest of the Weakerthans canon. While it is much more polished and less “punk” than the band’s previous outings, the comfortably literate rock foundation remains. The added spit and shine even helps out a couple of songs, like “Plea From A Cat Named Virtue.” “Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961)” is one of the most enjoyable songs they’ve ever penned, with a hilariously silly video to boot. And “Benediction” gives the Weakerthans a lovely duet to add to their library, thanks in part to Sarah Harmer. (She’s playing with the Weakerthans later this month at the Glenn Gould Studios; sadly, the show is unsurprisingly sold out.)

And as for “Reconstruction Site,” the song? With some country twang, vocal overdubs and a drummer, it comes off a lot better. Trading too-precious-by-half acoustic emo for country-inflected indie rock was a good choice.