Rating: NNN
A sweet sampling of poppy alt-country steeped in a strange brew of Canadiana, Little Miss Moffat’s first full-length album features a slew of Halifax indie all-stars, from co-producers Joel Plaskett and Charles Austin to rising pedal steel wizard Dale Murray (the Guthries, the Heavy Blinkers). Miss Canada updates earnest rootsy twang with the bubbly loose-limbed jangle of early 90s Pop Explosion bands, while Moffat (née Ashley) chronicles her journeys through outposts like Edmundston and Charlottetown – with some clever nods to Canuck iconography like TTC transfers. Her lyrics are self-reflexive but never precious, and the arrangements are lovely. The mix is slightly shallow, though – there are too many guitars competing on the same level as Moffat’s airy vocals.