Ron Sexsmith

Item: Blue Boy
Author: Josh Hurst

Blue Boy

(2001)

Reviewed by Josh Hurst

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Label spinART RecordsThe Rebel Base2001

folk rock pop rock singer-songwriter

Whenever I mention Ron Sexsmith, people always seem to ask me, "Is that his real name?" Well, I don't know. I guess so. I've never met the man, but I have no reason to doubt the fact that Sexsmith really is his last name. And frankly, I'm somewhat disgusted that I even had to bring that up.

Now let's put that little musing behind us and get on to the review. Ron Sexsmith is one of my favorite songwriters. His CD comes with endorsements from Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello, and I can see why. Ron is one of the most talented melody makers to come along since the days of Lennon/McCartney, and his lyrics absolutely blow me away. So why hasn't this guy received more media exposure?

Well, there are a couple of reasons for that. For one thing, Ron is not a singer. As a songwriter, he excels, but as a singer, I can definitely see how many listeners could have a distaste for him. Put simply, Ron sounds like a hybrid between Thom Yorke and Kermit the Frog.

Another reason for Ron Sexsmith's lack of the popularity that he deserves is that he actually focuses on the music. No, I'm serious! He honestly doesn't seem to care about radio play or being the next big thing or proving a point. Ron just wants to make insightful yet fun music. Unlike the 90's model of U2, Ron doesn't resort to satire to prove his point, and unlike Radiohead, Ron doesn't rebel against musical trends just to rebel against musical trends. He simply makes the kind of music that he wants to make- simple pop/folk that revolves around the melodies and the words.

Ron Sexsmith has always been at the top of the class when it comes to crafting simple, intellectual pop songs. His talent and competence at writing and performing have resulted in a relatively small but loyal fan base. Many of the listeners that fell in love with the soft sounds of Whereabouts and Other Songs, however, may be in for a bit of a shock when they hear Ron's latest offering, Blue Boy. This, my friends, is a whole new Ron Sexsmith.

Ok, perhaps that's a bit extreme. The focus on Blue Boy is still squarely on the tunes and the lyrics. Still, it's Ron's most experimental album to date. Blue Boy finds Ron and producers Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy adding some strange instrumentation and a rock edge to Ron's signature sound. Ron's previous works relied heavily on flutes, strings, and other "soft" instruments, but Blue Boy finds Ron and his band adding horns and plenty of electric guitars into the mix.

"This Song" starts things off with a few drumbeats, but horns and electric guitars quickly take over. "This Song" is one of the most rocking songs on the album. In fact, it's one of Ron's most rocking songs ever. It's not a huge change, but it's a little bit different from the Ron that many fans have come to know and love. And, in my opinion, this slight nuance is for the better.

I won't go into detail about every single track (the album has 14 of them)- just know that they are all well-produced and professionally performed by Ron and his band. Some musical highlights include the trumpet/piano driven "Foolproof," the country flavor of "Cheap Hotel," the muffled sound of "Not Too Big," and the almost ska-like horn section on "Never Been Done."

It's worth mentioning just how much Ron did on this record. He doesn't just sing and write songs, folks- he also plays guitar and piano. In addition to that, Ron even drew the sketches that are used throughout the album sleeve. This man is obviously a talented, versatile artist, and it saddens me that he doesn't have more popularity than he does.

Ron's biggest talent, in my opinion, is his lyric writing. Ron Sexsmith has a way of conveying volumes of insights and feelings in just one or two lines. These songs are very simple, but that doesn't mean they're shallow. In other words, you'll probably be able to figure out the basic meaning behind every song on your first couple of listens, but there is more here than meets the eye. New discoveries can be made every time you listen to Blue Boy. It's that deep.

My all-time favorite Ron Sexsmith song is Blue Boy's second track, "Cheap Hotel." It's just a little over two minutes long, but Ron's storytelling is powerful enough to convey multiple truths through these short lyrics. Ron tells the story of two different women- or is it the same woman? It's hard to say. Anyway, the first verse describes a woman who was abused by her husband. This woman was brave enough that "she took the kids and drove far from that house." The battered, worn out family finds refuge in a cheap hotel.

The second verse of the song tells a different story that takes place in the same hotel. This story does not end quite so happily, though- a woman is seduced, possibly even raped by some man. Or maybe the woman slept with him voluntarily. Whatever the case was, the end result was that "her nerves were shattered, her dreams as well."

Ron ends the first verse of the song with the line "God bless this cheap hotel," but the second verse ends "God damn this cheap hotel." That's rather clever, eh? Ron is able to weave themes of love, courage, God's will, and hope into one two-minute song. I've often remarked that I could write an entire sermon about U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," but I could get in several sermons about "Cheap Hotel." It's utterly brilliant, and that's all I'll say about it in this review.

The other thirteen songs on Blue Boy are not quite as powerful as that one, in my opinion, but they're all lyrical gems. What's more, they're delivered with confidence and skill. Ron has outdone himself (and most other artists) with this release- it's thought provoking, it's fun, it's memorable, and it's unique. I love Blue Boy, and, if you're a fan of intelligent, thoughtful pop music, I think you will too.

Josh's Score: 4.5/5

Mark's Score: 2.5/5