Ron Sexsmith has always had a unique take on the alt.country genre. Combining a flair for haunting Americana a la Johnny Cash (indeed Retriever is dedicated to the memories of June & Johnny, along with Elliot Smith), with an arch lyrical sensibility owing a debt to Jonathan Richman, Morrissey, and even, on this outing, Neil Hannon, the singer/songwriter has managed to carve a fascinating and idiosyncratic niche for himself.
Taking these base elements as his musical template once more on Retriever, Sexsmith has again alchemised his influences into a golden mixture of catchy melodies and intelligent and insightful lyrics. He has a particularly impressive talent for authoring plaintive, affecting ballads, which tend to be sweet without being saccharine, musically complex without being ostentatious.
The likes of ‘For The Driver’ and ‘Dandelion Wine’ are stripped back slices of bluesy melancholia that hint at Beck or Steve Malkmus in their more introspective moments (think ‘Nobody’s Fault But My Own’ or ‘Starlings Of The Slipstream’). Elsewhere, ‘Whatever It Takes’ enquires as to what the hell’s goin’ on with all the flair and panache of a certain Marvin Gaye.
Occasionally, however, Sexsmith veers too far in the opposite direction and applies an excess of slick production sheen. The central melody of ‘Happiness’ nearly suffocates beneath a deluge of ornate instrumentation, whilst the slightly flaky ‘Wishing Wells’ could have done with a bit more spit and a little less polish. Overall, though, this is a well-executed collection that should find favour with those who like their singer-songwriters measured and meditative as opposed to maudlin.