Ron Sexsmith - Blue Boy (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

I literally cried

Jonathan H Barlow | St. Louis, MO USA | 08/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I listened to this CD at a listening station at a local store, and I literally cried when I got to track 4. Why? Well, besides staying up late too much lately, I was sitting there thinking about how amazing the production is -- the drums sound so beautiful, the horns so good, the guy's voice is incredible, but not over-controlled. I was just blown away at what an amazing mood he creates. The songwriting is also top notch. Every song could just about be covered by a big name star in any musical genre and the person would have a bonafide hit on their hands. If you like Paul Westerberg, if you like Paul Simon, if you like Wilco (think SummerTeeth) if you like Brian Wilson, if you like Elvis Costello, etc. then this album will fit you like a glove. Steve Earle's production help is nothing but positive because the overall sound and its simplicity doesn't interfere with these great songs, but rather brings them out starkly. If you eschew the "wall of sound" muddiness of bands who don't know how to record (U2, etc) then you'll appreciate this music a great deal. On one song you can hear the brushes on the snare drum, the hi-hat being closed by the foot pedal and then a horn comes in.... Wow."

Holy cow this is good stuff!

S. Harri McLennon | Prairie Village, Kansas United States | 06/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brilliant---maybe the best thing I?ve heard all year(right up there with the Old 97?s album). Subtle, refined music---wry lyrics---unobtrusive production---totally at odds with the stuff on the radio(cause to rejoice). Occasionally melancholy and mellow but definitely not overly so. ?Foolproof? sounds like a standard from the 30's and he pulls it off. Each song has its own merits. A solid piece of work (possibly a classic in my humble opinion)."

Getting raves from Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello . . .

M. Campbell | Hermance, Switzerland | 11/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

". . . and if you listen to Ron Sexsmith's latest, you'll understand why. The melodies, the lyrics, the sometimes smooth-as-caramel/sometimes touchingly-croaky voice all hint at elements of Macca's and Elvis's decades of acclaimed songwriting. And THIS may turn out to be one of 2001's "best kept secrets" in the music industry. Those who swear by Top 40 radio to get "the latest" are missing out on a gem of a record.
Standouts on _Blue Boy_ include the touching story of a woman who, with her kids, flees from her husband and finds sanctuary in a "Cheap Hotel"; this song's simple, subtle melody allows Sexsmith's poignant lyrics to take center stage. "Don't Ask Why" would find a comfortable home on any album by McCartney, Costello, Nick Lowe, or the like; a simple pop melody (using tried-and-true guitar chords like D, Am, Bm) but addictive after a few listens. "Tell Me Again" is one of many songs that highlight Sexsmith's "sheepish", self-deprecating (but nonetheless intriguing and endearing) sides, as he asks the one he loves to repeat what was just said, having been lost in thought. Likewise, "Not too Big" also showcases this self-deprecating side, but with a bit more cynicism, backed by a more upbeat, shuffling, blues-y melody (perhaps similar to Little Feat, in some oblique way?)
This album will be in my Top 5 Albums of 2001. I highly recommend giving this one a listen; you will be pleasantly suprised again and again, with each track."

Sexsmith proves again he can do no wrong

David Clark | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This newest release from Ron Sexsmith might initially freak out some oldtime fans who have come to know Sexsmith's soft, warm and pop-folkish tunes. Those characteristics certainly aren't missing from Blue Boy, but on this new and most eclectic album to date some stuff will jump out and tilt your head, at first. R.S. gets more bluesy, more funky, more off-beat and definitely more up-tempo on this one. He raises his voice more than I've heard before, and even throws some reggae/ska in the mix. I admit, I was scared at first listen, wondering if he was getting too experimental. But as I took it in 3 and 4 times over, the songs began to seep in and touch my soul like only Ron's songs can. Even with the almost-edgyness of some of these tracks, his honest, real sounds and strong yet sublte lyrics come through and personfy greatness. Ron can, apparently, do no wrong. Amen."

His most accessible work yet

Jonathan H Barlow | 06/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Sexsmith's most immediately appealing album yet. The trio of recordings he did with Mitch Froom in the 1990s (Ron Sexsmith, Other Songs and Whereabouts) are all wonderful, but their charms emerged gradually, with repeated listens. Not so with Blue Boy. Part of the credit goes to Steve Earle's production, which is clean and spacious while still managing to be a little rough around the edges (the CD was apparently recorded in a matter of days). But Sexsmith's songwriting, as always, is the true wonder. He has a singular talent for writing songs with hooks that work without banging you over the head. His singing, meanwhile, continues to grow more confident--Blue Boy features the best vocal work of his career. Sexsmith isn't an experimental artist on the order of Radiohead or Elvis Costello. He merely writes good songs ("just melodies with words," to paraphase "This Song"), and presents them unadorned. The fact that that approach has sustained four excellent albums is testament to his huge talent as a writer."

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