Ron Sexsmith – Hermitage (Cooking Vinyl)

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Normally, the arrival of a new Ron Sexsmith album would mean sitting through a dozen or so well-crafted songs that deal with the usual singer-songwriter tropes…heartbreak, loneliness, uh….heartbreak.

But Hermitage, Sexsmith’s latest, is a different kettle of fish.  Just drop your needle down on opening track You Don’t Wanna Hear It and enjoy the upbeat, melodic folk-pop contained within. Ron’s voice is still “pop with a tear in its eye” but the song is melodic, catchy with a feel-good vibe.

Just what we need in thes uncertain times.

And the good news is  that the 14 songs that comprise Heritage are consistent in their quality and tone.

According to the accompanying press material, the reason for this new-found optimism is the fact the Sexsmith has moved from his longtime residence in Toronto to a much smaller town called Stratford, also in Ontario. The less stressful lifestyle has unleashed the songwriter’s creativity (not that he was having any productivity issues before this).

By the time I got to track three, Lo And Behold, I realized that Ron was sounding quite a bit like Kinks’ frontman Ray Davies, particularly in his late 60s Days, Waterloo Sunset period. Combined with Sexsmith’s fine songwriting skills, this is an excellent thing, sounding at times like a long-lost Kinks album from their golden period.

The main instrumentation is Ron’s piano and voice but is often augmented with overdubs of bass, guitar and synths. Sexsmith plays pretty much everything but the drums, which are handled by his long term collaborator/producer Don Kerr.

Despite the fact that there are 14 tracks (many under three minutes), there isn’t a bad tune on the record. I found this a refreshingly positive listening experience from beginning to end.

At age 56, Ron Sexsmith shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, thanks to his inspirational move out of the city, I get the feeling we’re in for more fine music from him.

Marty Duda

Marty Duda
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