REDUX '11: Ron Sexsmith

Another of our not quite random list of 20 artists of 2011 we think deserve another listen:

If there is an artist with more critical acclaim and peer-worthy worship -- and less commercial success -- than Canadian singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith, we'd like to know about it. But that anonymous ignominy may thanfully be over with the March release of Long Player Late Bloomer, a self-described "action movie" of an album that finally matches the quality of his songwriting with the rich, vibrant sound they deserve. Produced by Bob Rock, the veteran studioman best known for his hard rock ventures with the likes of Metallica, Bloomer is a throwback to the days when richly outfitted rock hooks still sprang from pop radio, when panoramic melodies were welded to guitars that shimmered and sang and keys that could sound like a symphony. In other words, the classic era of McCartney, Petty, ELO, the Kinks, Nilsson and Badfinger...

"I’ve always been trying to make pop records, and all my heroes had hit records," says Sexsmith. "When I was growing up, people I loved like Elton John and Joni Mitchell were essentially album artists who also had hits. My main objective was always to make cohesive albums but a lot of my stuff sounds like what I would like to hear on the radio." Bloomer is unabashedly "boomer" in style but the sound still rings with a vibrant vitality. Songs like "Believe It When I See It" and "Love Shines" decisively reinforce the fact that Sexsmith is as good a pop songwriter as folks like Chris Martin and Lucinda Williams (and Elton and Dylan and Costello) say he is as the often despairing lyrics are belied by the rush of upbeat melodies that flow effortlessly from one track to the next. We've always expected exceptional things from Sexsmith, but even the most fervent fan will be blown away by what's in store here.

Ron Sexsmith - "Believe It When I See It" (from Long Player Late Bloomer)

Ron Sexsmith - "Love Shines" (from Long Player Late Bloomer)