While exploring the “wide-open spaces” of an Ontario Wal-Mart during a break from his world tour, California native Matt Costa spoke to the Muse about his newest album, Unfamiliar Faces, and his band’s sold-out stop at the Paradise Rock Club this Friday.

“I played there the first time I played in Boston, only I was in the smaller room,” Costa jokes. “This time we’re in the big room. I guess I got upgraded!”

This year’s tour has already been peppered with a few mishaps. After a show in Winnipeg, Canada, $25,000 worth of equipment was stolen from backstage. Just last week, the van carrying Costa and his crew flipped on a patch of ice and rolled three times, landing some of the musicians in the hospital. But the show must go on, and Costa said he is continuing the tour without hesitation.

“Of course we’re still going to play,” Costa said. “As long as we’re alive, we’ll keep playing.”

Faces, Costa’s second album, stays true his signature funky acoustic mix of folk and alternative rock, but showcases a more introspective and expansive side to the singer.

“With the first record [2005’s Songs That We Sing], I was sort of discovering what I was thinking and feeling,” he said. “With this one, I was more frightened by the reality of everyday people and the people that you keep close to you. Acknowledging the good and bad tensions in relationships is exciting to me.”

Critics have called Faces, released Feb. 5, a “more mature and cohesive” expression by Costa, one that will hopefully pay off for the young musician.

“There’s more continuity between the songs on this album,” he said, describing his sound as “tall, short and everything in between . . . The songs themselves may sound more varied, but there’s definitely more continuity between the themes.”

With respect to any upcoming projects, Costa said he has finished writing another album, but has yet to begin recording. Having collaborated with artists such as Jack Johnson and The Vandals in the past, Costa added that he is looking forward to working with his recent tour partners, San Diego’s Delta Spirit, in the near future.

And when asked to which city he preferred to play, Costa answered with no hesitation and a laugh.

“Boston, of course,” he said. “Because you know… you just can’t beat Boston.”