  |
|
|
|
Ron Sexsmith (1995) is
the debut album from, funnily enough, Ron Sexsmith, a Canadian singer. He
has an interesting musical style
what with the fact that his songs have a much sparser feel than the mainstream, produced
rock music commonly heard.
This soft approach is immediately discernible from the beginning of Ron Sexsmith. 'Secret Heart' is a very gentle, melodic gem about the pain secrecy can cause in a relationship. 'Words We Never Use' has a similar sound and similar subject and is delivered in the same captivatingly earnest fashion. The same can be said for a number of the other tracks, the most obvious examples being 'Speaking with the Angel' and 'Galbraith Street'. This last song raises another interesting point about this album. Sexsmith's singing, on this particular song, is outstanding. However his singing, in general, is really the only negative aspect of this record. While his passion is always enjoyable, he struggles at times with high notes or long notes. However it is only a minor blemish and scarcely noticeable. As well as writing quasi-folkish type of songs, Sexsmith also makes music which is less sparse. 'Heart with No Companion', with its bright melody, is an example of this and also probably the only contribution to this record which somehow does not fit- in terms of standard and feel- with the others. 'First Chance I get' is an actual rock song, which is very surprising when considering what's around it and 'In Place of You' is also along more traditional lines. However it is the first type of song- restrained and devoid of any excess production and accompaniment- and the associated tone, which is what Ron Sexsmith is about. This is a very talented musician, with a unique approach and sound, who obviously loves what he's doing. Consequently, this is an outstanding album. RATING: 9/10 Go To Page: 1 |
|
|
|
