Maybe Ron Sexsmith should
put out a lousy album one of these days just to make it easier to appreciate
how consistently terrific his output is. Instead, Exit Strategy Of The Soul continues an unbroken
string of sweet, wounded pop dating back to the early '90s. Without pushing,
Sexsmith lures listeners into a world filled with disappointments offset by the
hope of a better tomorrow, even though there isn't a lot of common sense backing
up that hope.
Most of the characters
drifting through Exit Strategy look to the future for answers, whether they're
overwhelmed by life in general ("The Impossible World") or seeking solace in
another ("Music To My Ears"). Sometimes the optimism they find isn't just
misplaced, it's destructive, as in the politically metaphorical boozing of "One
Last Round."
While Sexsmith's songs
haven't changed that much over the years, the production behind them has.
Producer Martin Terefe, working with Sexsmith for the second time, fills out
the sound with strings, a soulful Cuban horn section, and, on one track, Feist,
reprising the Sexsmith co-write "Brandy Alexander" from The Reminder. It's a sweet wrapping
for bittersweet sentiments. "I can't give up on all these poor helpless dreams,"
Sexsmith sings on "Poor Helpless Dreams." "For what have they got if they don't
have me?" His songs have chased that question years. With luck, they'll never
find an answer.