- Release date:
- July 8, 2008
- Artist/Band name:
- Ron Sexsmith
- Record label:
- Yep Roc
- Official Web Site:
- http://www.ronsexsmith.com/
Backstory: Ontario-based singer-songwriter Sexsmith has had the kind of music-biz career that's getting more and more rare these days: over the past 20 years or so, his tunesmithery has amassed a following of superstar fans (Elvis Costello, R.E.M.), while he hasn't even had a mini-hit in cult circles.
Why you should care: Sexsmith's croon and way around a melody owe more to classic Brill Building pop than modern rock, and ensures that, despite his longevity, even the most recent listener can claim him as a fresh discovery.
Verdict: Sexsmith worked on “Exit Strategies” in Cuba, and claims to have siphoned inspiration from the island's music for the tasteful horn arrangements that creep their way through songs like the plaintive “This Is How I Know” and “Music to My Ears.” Most of “Exit Strategies,” though, lacks the energetic insistence or musical complexity of Cuba's local tunes. Rather, the album calls to mind a slightly watered down take on Van Morrison's “Astral Weeks,” full of soothing, full-bodied vocals and meandering acoustic guitars, but—in Sexsmith's hands—just a bit of the tugging feeling that he's working diligently to make it all sound effortless.
X-Factor: “Brandy Alexander” was co-written with fellow Canadian Feist, herself a cult favorite before her “1234” breakthrough last year.
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