Retriever

by

Ron Sexsmith

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This is such a wonderful surprise after Ron's last album was ruined by the production. Here, his voice is respected by the mix, and there are none of the distractiing auditory effects that made some songs on Cobblestone Runway laughably unlistenable. Now, the production allows us to sit back and listen to the songs, and these are songs that really reward listening. There are several truly wonderful, catchy, moving, beautiful songs here. I Feel For the Driver is the emotional centerpiece of the album, a deep expression of compassion for those who hurt others unintentionally. As a person who has gone through a divorce, where you can end up hurting people you reallly love the most (your children), I was grateful for a song which seemed to recognize how difficult life can be when you hurt others unintentionallly. "Hard Bargain" could be a conversation between a down-trodden lover and his difficult partner, but I like to think it's a song about a guy fighting it out with his own conscience. "Tomorrow in Her Eyes" is just a perfect, simple love song--the kind of song that I think must make other song writers wonder how in the heck does somebody write something so beautiful and moving. From Now On is an upbeat song, like Dylan's New Morning, about new beginnings "It's a new day from now on..," but in typical Sexsmith fashion it's much more than that; it's also a statement in favour of love and compassion over fear-mongering, perhaps an allusion to the current war making around the world--"They're in the business of panic and control. We're in the business of the heart and of the soul." Many of the songs are masterpieces, but there are still a few weaker tunes. The only song on the CD that doesn't work for me is "Whatever it takes," though I must admit I would love to hear Al Green sing that one, too.

What makes Ron Sexsmith so special is that he writes these melodies that are as timeless and beautiful as 100 year old hymns, and his lyrics always seem to match the melody and rythmn almost perfectly. On top of that, his songs often touch on universal themes of forgiveness, loss, and compassion that are so much more meaningful that most of what you hear today. He may write better songs than anyone writing music these days. Why he isn't a superstar is beyond me. There's no one out there writing as many great songs as Ron Sexsmith.

Contrary to the above reviews, I don't believe this album is a true indication of Ron's immense talent. I found the songwriting to be no where near as insightful as on previous albums (with one or two exceptions) and the music lacks the emotive elements that I have come to expect from Ron. Having been a huge fan for many years, I await any Ron Sexsmith release or tour to Australia with great anticipation and expectation. Unfortunately this effort has not delivered.

I surely hope that Ron is not under some contractual obligation where he is required to release a new album every 18 months or so - If that is the case, I also hope that his record label becomes more receptive to the notion that quite often, less is more.