Album: Joel Plaskett & The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
Artist: Joel Plaskett
(Pheromone)
Three-and-a-half stars (out of five)
Led Zeppelin. Joni Mitchell. Chuck Berry. Dire Straits. Thrush Hermit. You can find nods to all these musicians as singer-songwriter/Halifax icon Joel Plaskett pays tribute to his past on his latest album. As such, The Park Avenue Sobriety Test is largely reflective and road-weary in tone, accented by a couple of unexpected (and wrenching) guitar solos (as on Captains of Industry) and snappy moments, including the singalong, clap-along title track. After more than a dozen albums — as a solo artist and with his two bands — Plaskett’s rootsy songs would have a tendency to blend together, if it weren’t for his stellar (and often self-deprecating) lyrics, the perfect mix of wistful and witty. “What you call country music, sounds more like Bon Jovi,” he cracks on Broken Heart Songs, infused with pedal steel and piano. “Used to piss me off, now kind of turns me on / Just because you knew me / Doesn’t mean you know me / Just because I’m right / That doesn’t mean you’re wrong.” Plaskett will perform Saturday, May 9 at Union Hall. Tickets available at Ticketfly.
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
