Ron Sexsmith

In the mid-'90s, a fragile, understated, Canadian singer-songwriter who drew inspiration from Tim Hardin and Harry Nilsson was as out of place as an upturned toilet seat in a convent. Such circumstances make it doubly impressive that Ron Sexsmith's debut album had such an impact (Elvis Costello himself touted it highly). It's not that Sexsmith particularly felt the world was ready for a return to the art-pop melodicism of Brian Wilson and the quietly adventurous folk-rock of the aforementioned Hardin (to whom Sexsmith bears a strong vocal resemblance). It's merely that this album was inside him, and had to come out.
Mitchell Froom's decidedly '90s production keeps things from sounding too retro, underpinning Sexsmith's tender reveries with drum loops and a conspicuous absence of reverb. Despite the modern trappings, Sexsmith comes across as a classic old-school tunesmith. Song such as "Wasting Time" and "Secret Heart" are worthy of McCartney at his most engaging, and Sexsmith's waifish charisma carries the record perfectly.