Plaskett Album Is Three Layer Goodness

Three

MapleMusic/Universal

Jen White (CHARTattack)

03/27/2009 1:30pm

So it's true: Good things do come in threes.

Joel Plaskett's third solo album, Three — the follow-up to 2007's Ashtray Rock, his third album with The Emergency — is a triple-disc set with nine songs apiece, many of which have titles that are one word repeated three times. (Are you starting to see the trend here?)

While this may be a solo effort for the Nova Scotia-born singer/songwriter, who was apparently 33-and-a-third years old at the time of this recording, he's not alone.

Plaskett's accompanied by his dad, Bill Plaskett, as well as Rose Cousins and Ana Egge, who sing unison back-up vocals on most of the tracks. There are also guest appearances from The Emergency (bassist Chris Pennell and drummer Dave Marsh), Big Sugar's Gordie Johnson (who also mixed the album) and Peter Elkas, among others.

The discs are split into three phases of travelling: departure, separation and return. The first disc is more rocking and upbeat than its counterparts, including first single "Through & Through & Through," which features a horn section.

Disc two is a much quieter and more sombre affair, with hints of a Celtic influence introduced mainly via the fiddle, and is filled with references to Plaskett's hometown of Lunenburg, N.S.

The third disc incorporates elements from its predecessors, finding a pace that sits between both discs, with some slower songs that have a happier air than disc two.

Three is classic Plaskett. He's a skilled songwriter, as evidenced on "Wait, Wait, Wait," "Sailors Eyes," "Lazy Bones" and "Gone, Gone, Gone." There's a familiarity to his songwriting on Three that makes the tracks feel comfortable — like sitting on that old, comfy couch in your basement after a long day — but without feeling monotonous.

While there are a few missteps (notably, the awkward "Drifters Raus" on disc one), they're easily forgivable considering the man just put out a triple album of 27 songs.

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