Ron Sexsmith – The Last Rider (Cooking Vinyl)

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Canadian tunesmith Ron Sexsmith’s latest offering, The Last Rider, is a warm collection of bittersweet pop that retains a pastoral charm despite the polished production.

It was recorded with his regular touring band, featuring complex arrangements and orchestration.

Opener It Won’t Last For Long puts Brian Wilson-esque harmonies over a loping country-rock beat as he explores the impermanence of a feeling or a situation – be it of pain or of pleasure is left ambiguous.

Jaunty McCartney influenced Our Way follows, its counterpoint vocal harmonies overly saccharine, although not unpleasant.

A poignant piano ballad – Worried Song – paints a picture of a touching yearning, Beatles-esque harmonies in the gaps between verses.

Who We Are Right Now sounds like CSN on Valium, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  It follows the slow tempo confessional format of much of the album, not jarring but not particularly deep either.

Many of the later songs, such as Evergreen ­ are not particularly original in theme or style, I would go as far to say clichéd sounding.  That may be a bit harsh as there is definite talent in the conception of the melodic arrangements.  Spontaneity is lacking, there is simply a rawness, an edge, palpably missing.

Only Trouble Is is a pretty, spacious, lovelorn tune, with delicate harmonies, albeit not immune to the above criticism.

Closing track Man At The Gate has a poignant melody, echoes of Jackson Browne in the ’70s, and a mysterious narrative.

Indeed the whole album has a nostalgic feeling like Sexsmith wanted to make an album that sounded like the MOR singer-songwriter sound that thrived in the ’70s, and if that what he was aiming for he hit the mark pretty well.  Not breaking any boundaries, and a tad derivative of its influences – but full of lovely melodies and some pithy lyrical insights worth hearing along the way.

Stephen Allely

 

 

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