Ron Sexsmith

Re-teaming with producer Mitchell Froom, Ron Sexsmith takes a gentle pop turn on Time Being. Sexsmith’s voice is as rich and compelling as ever on gentle, jazzy songs such as "Never Give Up” and "Reason for Our Love.” It’s fitting that Gordon Lightfoot’s influence creeps into "Hands of Time” and "Cold Hearted Wind,” as this is Sexsmith’s most folk-oriented album in some time. The raucousness displayed on 2004’s Retriever is a rare presence here but shines through on "I Think We’re Lost” and "Jazz at the Bookstore,” one of the angriest songs in Sexsmith’s considerable catalogue. There’s great pop fare also with "Ship of Fools” and the dark hilarity of "The Grim Trucker,” a Paul McCartney-esque number for certain. A consummate craftsman, Sexsmith continues his ascent to songwriting sainthood with Time Being, a tastefully eclectic record that displays the breadth of his singular musical vision.