Ron Sexsmith -
His 1995 self-titled Interscope debut jolted jaded
critics everywhere: the Los Angeles Times called it "a heartwarming debut whose
seductiveness is based on its simplicity and craft," while none other than Elvis
Costello said "I've been playing it all year and could listen to it for another
twenty. It's a modest and elegant gem."
A former courier who took up music because "I didn't know what to do with my
life," this unassuming Ontario native has somehow found himself heir to a
Canadian songwriting heritage that includes Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Gordon
Lightfoot and Neil Young.
Other Songs proves that Sexsmith is for real. Rather than feel the "sophomore
slump" pressure, Sexsmith felt more comfortable this time around. "With the first
record, I wasn't really nervous, but I was very aware that it was the 'big
league.' My main concern was just trying not to mess up. With this record, the
only pressure was that the demos were really good, and I was trying to stay
open-minded about the songs."
As on Sexsmith's debut, producer Mitchell Froom lends a stark elegance to the
production while adding depth through such subtly added instrumentation as horns,
vibes and steel guitar. "That's what I like about working with Mitchell," says
Sexsmith, "he sees a song, and things occur to him that wouldn't occur to me, yet
the production is very faithful to the songs."
Sexsmith was originally signed to Interscope Music Publishing to write songs for
others to record. Demos of some of the songs caught the ear of Interscope label
heads Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field, who invited him to play in the office and
offered him an album deal on the spot. Indeed, while it would certainly be a
treat to hear Sinatra do "April after All," or maybe Joe Cocker taking a shot at
"Clown In Broad Daylight" (and it's not a stretch to hear Phoebe Snow singing
"Child Star"!), it's Sexsmith's own authenticity and romance that best serve his
songs. Remaining admirably understated, he sings with a wounded honesty that
upstages the affectation which plagues some of his contemporaries.
Sexsmith rightfully aligns himself with the lopsided pop of Ray Davies and Harry
Nilsson, rather than more traditional songsmiths like Jackson Browne and James
Taylor. He adds, "I also get lumped in with folk people just because of the
guitar. There's also this roots rock thing that I don't feel a part of -- like
you strum an acoustic guitar, add mandolins and you're set."
There is a pervasive melancholy on Other Songs, but the songs have wide emotional
range and remain unclassifiable. "Clown In Broad Daylight" and "Nothing Good" are
near-rockers, while "Thinly Veiled Disguise" and "Pretty Little Cemetery" roll
with the perfection of classic lullabies.
Despite his odd phrasing and skewed melodies, there is a definite consistency to
Sexsmith's songs. "I write when I'm walking around, and the words and melodies
come at the same time, so I guess I play around with them more. But take someone
like Van Morrison, his songs are all over the place, but there's something
consistent. He's still very strong melodically, which is important to me."
"Lyrics have been the toughest part," continues Ron. "I've never been a good
talker, but with songs I have time to get it right." Indeed, his songs are
surprisingly lucid. "I like clarity, where you know what the song's about. A lot
of people go miles out of the way to say something simple--I try to keep it as
conversational as I can." A prime example is "Honest Mistake" (with accordion
accompaniment by Sheryl Crow), which teaches a lasting lesson about forgiveness
in precious few words ("Sometimes in anger we seem to forget / All the wrongs
that have been done to us / We've done to others and regret").
Sexsmith spent the last two years on the road, sharing the stage with the likes
of Elvis Costello, The Chieftains, Sarah McLachlan, The Cardigans and Radiohead,
which went far toward winning over the masses. Indeed, when performing live
arrangements limited to guitar, bass, and drums, the resonance and soul of Ron's
songs comes through with startling ease. Ron Sexsmith is the self-effacing
troubadour with the sly hipswing, a natural pop star despite himself.
"Average Joe" is one of the few songs on the record that make reference to his
last two years on the road. "I was in Nashville on kind of a sad tour, I was
missing home, and a tour bus came along that said 'no one you would know.' It was
good comic relief, and it captured how I was feeling."
Ron Sexsmith may be a relatively quiet force amid the technology and swagger of
current pop music, but there's nothing unfashionable about beautiful music.
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