Thursday 6^th November 2008 @ The Fleece, Bristol

There must be something in the water over in Canada at the moment because from Rufus Wainwright to Feist, the country has recently produced a continuous conveyer belt of impressive folk-pop songwriters that could rub shoulders with any era (most of which seem to end up as part of Canadian super group Broken Social Scene). Of course, this all started with tonight’s headliner, Ron Sexsmith.

Though too bittersweet to ever achieve the commercial success of fellow Canadian Feist, he’s nonetheless a song-smith every bit the equal of Neil Young or Elliott Smith and in his career so far has supported the likes of Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney. So not really a well kept secret, but certainly not someone who’s overloaded with MySpace friends requests.

Playing with sparse accompaniment - just a cello and an electric guitar as backup - tonight is a predictably polite evening, added to by the mature audience and the unusual sight of tables and chairs stage side. In fact, before Ron Sexsmith takes the stage, a passer-by peering through the window could be excused for thinking that tonight the Fleece is holding a school reunion from 1975! But then, this is (gasp) mature music for mature people and so although no-one leaves having had a rock’n’roll charged, life changing experience, no-one expected to.

Having said that, infamous Bristol gig-goer, Big Jeff is down front swinging back and forth like a peg-doll (does this guy ever just enjoy a night in!) and the set swings expertly between sombre ballads, waltzes and McCartney-fused pop tunes; at times becoming truly ethereal. Sacred Heart, perhaps his most well known song, snatches you up like a breath of air, while tunes introduced from new album, Exit Strategy Of The Soul are warmly received. So in the end, tonight’s gig is charming, wistful and just like Brandy Alexander, goes down easy.

www.ronsexsmith.com

James Davey