Joel Plaskett Emergency — Truthfully Truthfully

Truthfully Truthfully

MapleMusic/Universal

Shannon Whibbs (CHARTattack)

10/21/2003 10:49am

Oh man, this record rocks so hard.

The opening track, "Written All Over Me", showcases bluesy riffs that explode into a Led Zeppelin-esque wall of sound, and then Joel howls, "Tip, tap toe go the footsteps as they’re COMING DOWN THE HALL!!" It’s a great intro into this excellent follow-up to Down At The Khyber.

Overall, this record has a ‘70s rawk feel, but explores different territory within that sound. "Mystery & Crime" is the most melodic track, hearkening back to old-school Halifax alt.pop sound. "Come On Teacher" is a Plaskett-ized tribute of sorts to Van Halen’s "Hot For Teacher," while "Heart To Heart With Lionel" has a ‘70s-era Neil Young thing going on. Plaskett lets his falsetto fly on "The Day You Walked Away" and laments the mass exodus of East Coast musicians to the bigger locales of Montreal and Toronto on "Work Out Fine." It’s a perfect marriage of killer riffs and lyrics that you have to listen to each and every word.

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