Singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith is back. It's not like he really went anywhere but he's back as far as new albums are concerned and many are dubbing his latest, "Retriever," his best work yet.
Sexsmith recorded the album last August in London during Europe's record-setting heat wave and recalls, "...that much of (singer/ songwriter) Ed Harcourt's excellent piano playing was recorded while in his underwear."
Aside from Harcourt, who lives about a block from the studio and frequently dropped by during the sessions, Sexsmith also invited two members of the band Travis. One of them is Neil Primrose who plays the drums on a couple of tunes which are part of a collection of songs that are faster in tempo and more electric than the songs on all of Sexsmith's previous releases.
Sexsmith once again teamed up with producer Martine Terefe who beautifully plays the electric guitar on a few tracks, particularly his melody on the song "Hard Bargain." Aside from the standard lineup - bass, drums and guitar - Sexsmith and Terefe also incorporate the use of strings on many of the songs.
Sexsmith's lyrical content ranges from his admission of sympathetic tendencies for someone who is usually to blame in a situation (I feel for the driver/In the aftermath/Of a child who chased a ball/Across his path) on "For the Driver" to his musical journal of sorts about finding love again in songs like "Happiness" and "Tomorrow in her Eyes."
Sexsmith also remembers a past love with fond memories on "Dandelion Wine" (a personal favorite) and how his not-so-nice treatment of this girl's love for him has shaped his present perspective on what it means to be in love.
Sexsmith, a soft-spoken man who keeps company with musicians like Daniel Lanios (responsible for the album's photos) and the members of Coldplay, sat down with The Beach Reporter this week to talk about his new effort.
The Beach Reporter: The song 'For the Driver,' I like the perspective you take which is different from the usual perspective. How did this develop?
Sexsmith : I guess you could say it's different, yeah. I foresee a lot of people who can see different sides of a situation. I find that it's hard to make a judgment on things because there is another side or another story. It started with one thing and my mind went on to a few different subjects as well. I remember there was someone I knew as a teen-ager who was in his car and there were a couple of girls sitting on the back of it. For a joke, he decided to hit the gas pedal. The car shifted and one of the girls fell off and died. I always thought that's such a terrible thing to happen to him. I was thinking that could have been anybody; it was just an innocent little joke that ended tragically. Obviously it was very bad for her and her family and everything, and it changed his life as well. But that's oftentimes where my sympathy lies and how awful that must be to live with that. I was trying to write a song about having compassion for the other story that exists.
Do you tend to intertwine fiction with reality?
I do. There is always a bit of both going on. I mean, I've written songs that were out-and-out fictional songs. Those aren't always possible to write because there is too much perhaps going on in my personal life. On this record, for example, there are a lot of songs that kind of reflect where I'm at right now. There are a few kind of state-of-the-world songs. So, I try to reach that balance where it's not like a diary for everyone to read but sometimes it's unavoidable that a song is going to be really personal and I just let that happen if that's the case.
Do you think you find it harder to write the personal ones as opposed to fictitious ones?
Well, they each kind of present their own little challenges. Sometimes the personal ones are a little easier to write lyrically because there is just stuff that is coming to the forefront and it just pours out of you in a way. Those can be hard, too, because I don't want myself to be so personal that nobody understands them or they become claustrophobic or something. So, I try to remember it's a song and that you want to write it in a way that is going to resonate with other people, too.
So something like 'Tomorrow in her Eyes,' is that where you are right now?
Yes, basically. I've always been a fan of real love songs and it's been great to write happy love songs because some of my other albums were a bit tainted with the end of a relationship so they had a melancholy tone to them. After a while, I escaped from it and there was a time when I had to tiptoe around things lyrically because I didn't want to hurt anybody. Now, it's more of an open book, I guess.
Did it pose a challenge to write faster tempo songs compared to your previous albums?
Well, I had written a bunch of songs that were very accessible that maybe we could get on the radio and break out to a larger audience, so we didn't want to sabotage the song by overthinking them. I sang as good as I could and I tried to give each song what it needed.
What do you feel is the one song that underwent the most drastic changes in terms of arrangement?
Well, on the last album there were quite a few but on this album the songs all pretty much went the way we intended. "Dandelion Wine" I think was the most work. We recorded that one initially just guitar and voice, and then all the other stuff (bass and drums) was added afterward. Neil from Travis came in and played drums, and it's kind of hard to play drums to a song that's already been put down without drums because my tempo is going to be maybe not as even. So, that was kind of tricky.
'Dandelion Wine' precedes the song 'Happiness' and it's interesting to kind of hear where you were and where you are now in terms of love.
Yeah, and they actually changed in the sequence. "Dandelion Wine" originally came after "Tomorrow in her Eyes." There are some people who felt it didn't belong on the record because of that, too. I was really proud of the song and kind of fought for it. I'm happy where it is now, though, since I think it's a nice break between "Whatever it Takes" which is a joyful love song and "Happiness." I'm quite happy with a sequence because it's always a bit of a puzzle to try and figure out, and because it's like a movie for me. I still think people are going to sit and listen to the record from start to finish. You always make your records with that idea in mind and whether a person listens to it that way or not is out of your control.
Is there maybe one particular genre that you'd like to get more into as far as recording?
I'm not sure. The only kind of thread for me in terms of the music that I love is I prefer music that is melodic, so that's kind of what I do. I don't know if I'd ever say I'm going to do an album of old R&B kind of stuff. Right now, I'm working on an album that is a little more folk or country and that was mainly because of the songs I managed to have kicking around. I'm doing them as duets with my drummer who has this beautiful high voice and we've been recording them kind of like the Everly Brothers or something.
What are your top-five desert-island records?
Bob Dylan, "New Morning"
The Kinks, "The Village Green Preservation Society"
Best of Bill Withers
I do like that June Carter Cash, "Wildwood Flower" record a lot.
Beach Boys, "Pet Sounds"
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