Eternally baby-faced and floppy-fringed, Sexsmith’s introverted melancholia has long struck a chord with audiences on this side of the Atlantic (though mainstream success has inexplicably eluded him thus far). His eight album in a decade sees the Toronto-based troubadour re-united with producer Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Costello etc), who helmed his first couple of albums. While some might see this as a tacit admission that his more recent studio outings didn’t quite hit the mark, fans of his earlier work will undoubtedly welcome this return to form. The reasons aren’t hard to fathom; always a gifted melodicist and a canny wordsmith, as well as a fine guitarist, Time Being reveals his strongest collection of songs to date with a strike rate of bona fide gems that more acclaimed artists would kill for.
The jangly, up-tempo opener ‘Hands Of Time’ boasts a memorable melody that should find space on the airwaves. ‘Reasons For Our Love’ and ‘All In Good Time’ come across as the kind of classics Tony Bennett could make all his own, while ‘Jazz At The Bookstore’ takes a wry swipe at the Starbucks/Borders culture sweeping North America and soon to take hold here. Evocative vignettes such as ‘Snow Angel’ and ‘Cold Hearted Wind’ showcase a masterful grasp of storytelling in song. Throughout, Sexsmith’s heartfelt, keening voice is assured without being overbearing and the whole affair is sympathetically produced and arranged, with former Attractions drummer Pete Thomas keeping a solid beat.