Canadian Ron Sexsmith is one of those artists who never lets you down. His albums are consistantly great and his latest ,“Exit Strategy for the Soul”, is no exception. He’s also one of those artists who’s destined to be on the periphery of things, never quite hitting the big time or popularity he deserves. In these days of flight-by-night troubadours you don’t seem to get your just rewards just by being really good year after year. Maybe it’s the fuzzy hair, maybe he just doesn’t fit in – I’m sure he doesn’t care, he’s an musician’s musician with famous fans including Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello.
“Exit..” is his 9th album and it re-unites him with Swedish-born, London-based producer Martin Terefe, who produced the Beatle-esque album “Retriever” from 2004. This is no great departure in style except for the addition of an added soulfulness courtesy of a Cuban horn section which give Ron’s songs extra colour and ornamentation. Ron has a distinctive, world weary voice but it’s also tinged with soul, so it was a neat idea by the producer to go to Cuba to add the horns.
The album was near completion at Terefe’s Kensaltown Studios in London when, out of the blue, the producer suggested a trip to Cuba to add a horn section. Ron was initially nonplussed by the idea, but he’d had spent enough time in the studio with Terefe during the course of their three albums together to trust the producer’s instincts, and so, with some trepidation, he went along with the idea. He wrote a song on the flight to Havana—which became the climactic “Brighter Still,” cut on the spot with a roomful of Cuban musicians. Another collaboration on the album is “Brandy Alexander” with fellow Canadian Leslie Feist on backing vocals, which has a warm, hooky melody that again uses those Cuban horns well.

The melodies linger after several listens, as with all of Ron’s albums, I just hope this time more people, other than famous rock stars, start to take notice.

http://www.ronsexsmith.com/

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