Time Being reunites the Canadian singer/songwriter with producer Mitchell Froom. As the man behind the glass for almost all of Sexsmith's work in the mid- to late '90s, Froom adapted his rhythmic, hyper-compressed production style to the singer's laconic pop confections with both grace and restraint, resulting in some of the decade's craftiest and coolest adult alternative rock. Like all Ron Sexsmith albums, Time Being is reliable and expertly crafted, and contains a handful of cuts that will kick around in your head until the next one swoops in to replace them. Both Froom and Sexsmith rarely deviate from their chosen styles, so to hear them working together again is both a comfort and a curse. Songs like "Hands of Time," "I Think We're Lost," and the nostalgic "All in Good Time" are all classic Sexsmith (characters looking for that elusive balance between melancholy and hope amidst midtempo acoustic landscapes), but one can't help but wish that he'd stir in a few more songs like "The Grim Trucker" into the pot. A surprising and enigmatic tale of culinary existentialism where Sexsmith adopts a mischievous Ray Davies croon over a serpentine, White Album-era Beatles-sounding arrangement, it offers the listener a glimpse into the kaleidoscope where Sexsmith fishes around for ideas. One hopes that next time around he embarks on a full tour.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo