On A Whim: The Songs of Ron Sexsmith

Album Review

Not all singer/songwriters are equally talented as composers and performers, and though Ron Sexsmith is among the most gifted Canadian songwriters of his generation, a writer with an uncommon ability to capture the subtle details of life and love with compassion and emotional generosity, his voice is a more problematic affair, sometimes lacking the force and emotional gravity to make the most of his lyrics, especially on his early albums. John McDermott, a Canadian vocalist well known for his recordings of traditional Scottish and Celtic songs, has made a rare foray into contemporary material with On a Whim: Songs of Ron Sexsmith, in which he interprets a dozen songs by his fellow countryman, and hearing a singer of McDermott's skill perform Sexsmith's songs presents a welcome opportunity to give these tunes a second chance. As it happens, McDermott honors the intent (albeit not to the letter) of Sexsmith's original versions of these songs, and while his vocal style is a great deal more theatrical than the author's, for the most part he aims for a welcome subtlety and he plays the boyish side of Sexsmith's personality with skill and charm. McDermott sometimes goes for a slightly swinging, pop crooner approach on tunes like "You've Been Waiting" and "This Song," but the songs unexpectedly play well with these arrangements, and McDermott delivers the material with panache. If in some ways McDermott's crisp, well-disciplined tenor is a slightly curious fit for the rumpled, homey personality of Sexsmith's lyrics, his respect and enthusiasm for the material is never in doubt, and the beauty of the melodies is well served at all times. John McDermott doesn't reinvent Ron Sexsmith's music on On a Whim, but he does make a few of his songs easier for many listeners to approach without robbing them of what made Sexsmith's flawed but compelling recordings memorable. The result is a fine introduction to a great songwriter as well as a fascinating creative detour for a fine vocalist.