Ron Sexsmith, Exit Strategy of the Soul
The Canadian tunesmith returns, this time as uneasy as the rest of us.
At first glance, it would seem that the title of Ron Sexsmith's latest is just a clever pun from a songwriter known for clever wordplay — especially since anyone familiar with the Canadian tunesmith's body of work knows the basic gentleness that's been a hallmark of his music since his 1995 debut. But while the tone may be as mild as ever, the spirit on Ron Sexsmith's new album is an uneasy one, the product of (as one songs aptly puts it) the "Impossible World" he sees around him these days.
"From where I sit, there's too many eyes crying tears, too many lives living in fear," Sexsmith sings on "Ghost of a Chance," one of numerous tracks whose perspective is shaped by war, poverty and pollution. Another example is "One Last Round," wherein Sexsmith likens the current generation to drinkers who'll be leaving "The children who have yet to come… to pay our tab."
Still, there are notes of optimism sprinkled throughout, and significantly, the album ends with several quietly uplifting songs ("Brighter Still," "Music to My Ears") which find Sexsmith melodically channeling a bit of Brian Wilson — and ultimately leaving behind a smile that is to be sure melancholy, but a smile nonetheless.
