Polaris 09 Shortlist: Joel Plaskett Three

It wouldn’t have worked out any better if I’d planned it.  It’s Labour Day, and the eighth installment of the QBiM Polaris Short List review, which means the hardest working songwriter in Canada gets to be in the spotlight.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for Joel Plaskett and a certain sense of pride in knowing he’s one of my fellow countrymen.  It’s akin to the same sense of connection I have to author Nino Ricci.  In 2009, both Ricci and Plaskett have released what can arguably be called their greatest work to date (Plaskett’s Three and Ricci’s Origin of Species); work that expands the boundaries of their given formats farther than either artist has ever ventured in the past while still being tightly tethered to their own life and  history, and very much a part of their work’s cannon.  The way Ricci maintains and never denies his Italian roots with each book is much the same way Plaskett infuses his Atlantic origins into the music he creates, and that allows both artists to explore grander concepts and ideas without ever venturing into pretentious grey areas.

Concept album it may be, but Three never feels like its bigger than it’s britches.  My expectations of what I’d hear before listening to the album were scrapped within the first within minutes of playing it.  For those who are going to check their CDs tracklisting I’ll save you the trouble:  that would just before the close of the album’s second track, “Through & Through & Through”.  It’s remained my favourite song on the album to this day, and is indicative of what the whole album is like: straight forward pop played with heart and skill.  At first my biggest criticism with Three was that there didn’t appear to be a center point to the album as a whole or the three distinct movements/LPs that make up the whole.  When you listen to it from beginning to end, or even in it’s individual parts, the album just seems to chug along at a consistent pace and rhythm without much variance.  Through and though and through indeed.  But now I see that the fact that Plaskett’s managed to maintain a level of consistency (in both the quality of songwriting and through-line of the music) is the album’s greatest achievement.  Let’s be clear here, though:  when I say consistency in the quality of songwriting I’m not suggesting that each song is a diamond.  As a matter of fact, I’m more inclined to say that Plaskett’s written an album of “better than good” but not quite “excellent” pop songs.  There are certainly stand outs–the aforementioned “Through & Through & Through”, and  “Run, Run, Run,” which grows more gorgeous and lush with every listen–but none of the 27 songs really competes to steal the spotlight from the others.

I think there’s a tendency to heap plaudits on ambitious projects like Three just because of their ambition.  I’m not sold on the notion that the reason why Plaskett is being considered for Polaris is because he wrote a 27 song, three disc LP.  It’s not quantity that garners you the gold, it’s quality.  To that end, I’ll be the first to say that there were albums of better or comparable quality out there this year that would have been just as welcomed on the Short List.  Having been a previous nominee (with his band The Emergency) certainly directed some criticism at Plaskett when the list was announced.  Metric, Malajube, K’Naan, VanGaalen and Plaskett were all up for the prize at some point or another.  That’s five out of the 10 nominated artists, meaning that there’s a good chance any or all of them are going to come away bridesmaids and not the bride again on September 21.  What are Plaskett’s chances of taking Polaris home?  It’s a longshot for sure, but they say third time’s a charm.  I know it’s only Plaskett’s second nomination, but maybe Three has enough numeric karma connections to put the numbers in Plaskett’s favour on Gala night.

MP3: Joel Plaskett “You Let Me Down”
Facebook: Joel Plaskett
Myspace: Joel Plasket
Buy: Joel Plaskett Three

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