Continuing the mini musical tour of Halifax (see also Jill Barber and Jale), we have Joel Plaskett and his latest album, recorded in… umm, Arizona. The story is that Plaskett got an invitation from a fan—and sound engineer—in Phoenix to record an album at his studio for free. Two years later, Plaskett took the guy up on his offer and drove south. Fittingly for someone who’s penned many a song about his cross-country travails, he wrote most of the material during the drive to Phoenix. The result echoes the highlights of the country-tinged Down By The Khyber, arguably one of Plaskett’s finest moments.

La De Da is a more contemplative record, however, and almost completely devoid of the stadium rock antics that marked Truthfully Truthfully—antics that didn’t seem to fit Plaskett that well, even if he could deliver the rock in concert. It might be the circumstances under which he wrote the songs—almost on a lark, and very much by the seat of his pants—or the fact that the “Emergency” of the “Joel Plaskett Emergency didn’t really show up for this album. In any case, it’s not immediately clear that we’re supposed to consider this a follow-up to Truthfull Truthfully, meaning Plaskett could very well crank up the amps again whenever he decides to put the Emergency back together for another round.