“sexsmith_ron”
Ron Sexsmith
Wherabouts
Interscope
Whereabouts is the third album on Interscope Records for Toronto-based Ron Sexsmith. Having not heard the previous two releases, I unfortunately can’t compare this effort to his earlier work. The cover art, a picture of Sexsmith brandishing a dying leaf, foretells of the melancholy, somber mood of this album, not that that is a bad thing. I was struck immediately with how familiar this music sounds. These actual songs, of course, were not familiar, but instead bring to mind dozens of singer/songwriters from the ’60s and ’70s. Two of the more upbeat songs, “The Idiot Boy” and “One Grey Morning,” would be right at home, musically, alongside Abbey Road -era Beatles. Lyrically, Sexsmith’s vocals are very introspective, if not retrospective. He laments about needing love, losing love, lost moments shared with strangers, and looking toward the future, while forgetting about the pain of the past. This is a very smooth, beautifully crafted album, which is consistent from beginning to end.
Interscope Records, 10900 Wilshire Blvd. #1230, Suite 1230, Los Angeles, CA 90024
