Introduce Yerself

They say when the end is near, your life flashes before your eyes. In the throes of a cancer battle, Gord Downie opted instead to slow down the film and analyze it frame by frame. Completed shortly before his passing in October 2017, *Introduce Yerself* isn’t a solemn meditation on death, but a rousing celebration of life—23 magical-realist vignettes, each centered around an important person in his life. The combination of Downie’s vivid lyrics and producer Kevin Drew’s surreal soundscapes makes it feel like you’ve been dropped into the middle of his soft-focus memories, be it the heart-racing, piano-powered disco sprint of “Spoon” (about a friendship forged over a mutual love of the namesake band) or the dinner-party atmosphere of the folk serenade “Nancy.” But the most breathtaking moment comes with “Far Away and Blurred,” a celestial ballad that sounds like it’s drifting toward the white light of the heavens.

Recorded in his final months and released 10 days after his death, the Tragically Hip frontman’s final album is a farewell and a testament, at once wistful and playful, urgent and defiantly hopeful.

Recorded in his final months and released 10 days after his death, the Tragically Hip frontman’s final album is a farewell and a testament, at once wistful and playful, urgent and defiantly hopeful.

As Gord Downie's family wrote in a statement following his passing on October 17, the songwriter chose to spend the time following his diagn...

As Gord Downie's family wrote in a statement following his passing on October 17, the songwriter chose to spend the time following his diagn...

'Introduce Yerself' by Gord Downie: Our review shows Gord Downie delivering a solid posthumous record that shows how much of a gifted songwriter he was.

'Introduce Yerself' by Gord Downie: Our review shows Gord Downie delivering a solid posthumous record that shows how much of a gifted songwriter he was.