Sometimes getting out of the big city really makes a difference.
Ron Sexsmith had been living in Toronto for about 30 years when he decided he wanted something different, so he and his family relocated to a smaller, more quiet community in Stratford, Ontario. After settling into his new home,
Sexsmith had a period of inspiration and wrote a bunch of new songs. Then he and his longtime drummer and production partner
Don Kerr set up a studio in the house, and with
Ron and
Don handling the instruments, recorded what became 2020's
Hermitage. The result is one of the brightest and most openhearted LPs of
Sexsmith's long career. While his vocals, in particular, have always felt chronically pensive, he sounds comfortable in a new way on these songs, not exactly outgoing but with just enough playfulness to be easily noticeable. The vocals reflect the tenor of the material; there's an easy charm to "Lo and Behold," "Chateau Mermaid," and "Winery Blues" that gives the tracks a lift (the latter may be the least grumpy tale of a really bad gig ever recorded), and even less joyous numbers like "Glow in the Dark Stars" and "Small Minded World" don't get him too far down. The arrangements are filled out just enough to give them a upbeat, buoyant tone, but there's a touch of homemade openness that suits the boyish qualities of
Sexsmith's voice, and not having to force himself to be heard has unexpectedly allowed him to sound richer and more confident in the studio. While at this point it's a given that a
Ron Sexsmith record will be filled with great songs, it's still reassuring to report that his well hasn't started going dry, and he remains as consistently strong a tunesmith as the great nation of Canada can claim in the 21st century. Hearing a fresh set of songs from
Sexsmith is always an experience to savor, but hearing him do so and have as much fun as he does on
Hermitage makes it even more of a pleasure. ~ Mark Deming