Customer Reviews

Other Songs

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this because it was high on Elvis Costello's recommended records list (always a good source for new discoveries). I've since found out McCartney and others have raved about it as well. I hesitate to give something I just bought five stars, but it's hard to think of another rating for this record. The main drawback is that it's only 40 minutes long.

On first listen Sexsmith seems too simple and maybe a little dreary. He's patently un-hip. Yet he's also unaffected, so much so that when you'd ordinarily find reason to dismiss him he has a hook in and the material starts building in your head. These are the kind of songs that keep you up at night. His melodies are spare and pretty. His lyrics have a direct innocence that is not naive but more like a haiku, stripped down and poignant with a pervasive hint of sadness ("So young we had no choice, we were pulled along by the ancient voice of girls and boys"). His singing is young sounding and direct, like Brian Wilson or maybe like McCartney without all his affectations.

This album has a weird intimacy, not like he's talking to you but like you're listening in to his thoughts--even the passing observations ("Standing on the side of the road near the overpass with a sign around his neck that says 'Carwash, Free Balloons' is a clown in broad daylight").

Producers Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake never get in Sexsmith's way; they avoid their tendency to overlay density and textures to the production. You can hear the grass grow on this record. It's quiet and gentle--and sometimes harrowing.

I dare anyone to come home after a rough day and remain stressed out after listening to this album. I heard it for the first time last night, and I am sure no psychiatrist could have prescribed a better medicine or made me feel more at peace with myself. Generic phrases come to mind, like 'breathtakingly beautiful' and 'poignant lyrics,' yet the album is anything but generic. It is a 'breath of fresh air' in a world that, as he says... "is not the one we used to know and love, Can't help wondering if it ever was." This is my first exposure to Ron Sexsmith, and I hope that he continues to be as inspired and inspiring for years to come. I have found the music I want to grow up and grow old with. Thank you, Ron.

I recently bought this album and "Whereabouts" after a friend suggested I check out Ron Sexsmith.

"Other Songs" is excellent. The songwriting is superb, the production (arrangements, mix, vibe) is inspired, and the performances are assured and heart-felt. There are 6 or 7 (!) gems on the album (e.g. "Pretty Little Cemetary", "April After All"), and the rest are simply good (e.g. "Child Star", "While You're Waiting"). Yeah, a few of the songs are a little weak (e.g. "Clown in Broad Daylight"), but they all have something in them that is irreplaceable, whether it's a melody line, a lyric or the production.

As a comparison, I think "Whereabouts" is a weaker album. The songwriting isn't as good (except for "Riverbed"), and the overall vibe just isn't there. I appreciate Ron trying new directions, but I think he's at the center of his strength on "Other Songs".

So, if you're looking for a new favorite CD, try this one.

Oh, I come from the point of view of being a musician/singer/songwriter, if that helps. Other favorites of mine from the 1990's are Radiohead's "OK Computer", Joni Mitchell's "Night Ride Home", Los Lobos "Kiko", Lucinda's "Car Wheels..", etc.

I don't review a lot of things, but this album is absolutly essential to any music lovers catalog. I seriously think Ron is a better songwriter than Lennon and McCartney... I know I'm stepping on sacred ground, but if he isn't better he's at the very least in the same league. These songs are incredible. The simplistic production mixes just the right blend of emotion in to make for an incredible album. I hope more people can give mr. Sexsmith a chance... Other Songs is definetly worth your money, reguardless of musical taste.

-Dusty

This is one of the most incredible albums I've ever had the privilege of hearing. The line from "Strawbwerry Blonde"-- 'Still I see her face framed in blue sky. At the top of a slide coming down.' --is one of the most visual lyrics I've ever heard. All of these songs create a perfect blend of musical and lyrical imagery. It is hard to fathom that one person is capable of writing this album. "Other Songs" is as close to perfect as it has been or ever will get. This is an album that anybody who has heard will listen to for the rest of their lives.

When Ron Sexsmith has sung his last (which I hope won't be for quite some time), this album will undoubtedly stand at or near the apex of his achievements. It certainly contains his best songwriting so far. Each track presents a compact, immediately compelling story set to a beautiful--but never obvious--melody. For me, the finest moments are "While You're Waiting," with its gorgeous, gradually rising vocal line, and also "So Young," "Pretty Little Cemetary" and "Thinking Out Loud." The minimalist arrangements by Froom and Blake are the most sympathetic Sexsmith has had on record so far. They rightly let his melodies and lyrics do most of the talking, with the instrumentation shoved way into the background--almost incidental. Subtlety defines this record, and as such its charms may not be immediately apparent. But dedication on the part of the listener is rewarded more than in full. And with each play, its accomplishments become a bit more amazing.

I just discovered this record recently and i can't believe what i've been missing. this is a beautiful, moving record by a major artist deserving of much greater attention. every song is a good one, but "Nothing Good" and "Strawberry Blonde" are perfect pop songs. the comparisons to elvis costello are obvious but sexsmith sings much more naturally and beautifully. he achieves a rare combination of sounding relaxed and yet using very nuanced phrasing and care. and like costello, he has the knack for the great opening line that draws you immediately into the song ("She's not the girl next door, but the girl who lives 'round the corner..."). produced by mitchell froom and featuring an all-star band of fine players, More Songs is a must have for those who love quality pop music.

The greatest thing about this LP is the songwriting. Sexsmith writes songs about overcoming a difficult upbringing, dealing with mortality and being average. I think he tends to write too many love songs on his other albums but on Other Songs he creates a great diversity and depth. Mitchell Froom's production is perfect for the songwriting (it's almost as good as Kiko).

Ron's musical style is so strikingly unique it resonates deep into your soul.

I have found the best way to enjoy this brilliantly poetic music is with headphones on. You'll pick up so many beautiful subtleties in the music that otherwise can go unnoticed. His songs tell stories and bring beauty out of the simplist experiences in our lives. I look forward to his next CD's.

If you are looking for the perfect pop song, look no further, there's 14 of them right here. They are deceptively simple. When I first heard this CD (through Lucinda Williams' recommendation, and she can do no wrong by me), I thought it was nice. Simple pop songs with pretty melodies and lyrics, thought I would listen to it a couple of times and stack it away, like I usually do. I tend to get bored with music pretty quickly, the few CDs I could listen to over and over again are Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks and Lucinda's Car Wheels, and now this little album.

It just grows and grows on you, the melodies and the lyrics may sound simple at first but they somehow they grow more enchanting with every listen until it brings you into this other world. I am convinced that I am listening to a genius singer-songwriter, can't really explain what it is, but I remember when I was a kid and learning to play the piano I first heard Mozart and I am getting that same feeling again......