Muruch

Justin Rutledge’s Man Descending will be released on April 8th in Canada and May 6th in the U.S. The sound of the new disc is much softer, smoother, and far more somber than the dusty Americana style of last year’s The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park. The title of the new album as well as the content of the songs were inspired by the 1982 short story collection Man Descending by Guy Vanderhaeghe. Melissa McClelland, Ron Sexsmith, and Oh Susanna guest on the album.

Lyrically, the songs on Man Descending portray ten characters each experiencing an identity crisis of sorts and examining different aspects of their individual personalities as well as their stations in life.

The beatific “St. Peter” sets the mood as Justin’s delicate falsetto slides in over an understated melody accented with the softest banjo. Melissa McClelland lends her voice to the track as well as the cello swashed “This Too Shall Pass”. “The Wire” swells and recedes on waves of vibrant horns and languishing pedal steel.

“A Penny For The Band” hints at the kind of pretty, atmospheric pop-rock tempered with country that first made Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles stars, yet still there is that dark undercurrent to the melody anchoring Justin’s angelic croon. Ron Sexsmith and Parkdale Agnostic Ensemble guest on the track.

“Greenwich Time” perks up into a slicker Americana sound with a heavier emphasis on guitars and drums, and the splendid “Waterloo” has a trickier though much gentler arrangement. Oh Susanna guests on “San Sebastian”, Jenn Grant sings on “Everyone’s In Love”, and Hawksley Workman shows up for the poetic finale “Alberta Breeze”.

Time Being is Canadian Ron Sexsmith’s eighth album, and was released this past January. The tracks on the album vary in tempo and subject matter, but generally remain in Ron’s signature gentle folk-pop tone that often recalls Nick Drake, Tim Buckley, or The Beatles. Sexsmith has collaborated with Coldplay, counts among his fans Elvis Costello and Elton John, and has had his songs covered by Feist, KD Lang, Nick Lowe, Rod Stewart, and Mary Black among others. Still “the songwriter’s songwriter” remains relatively unknown in the mainstream music scene.

Ron has performed at NPR’s Mountain Stage several times and is currently signed to Iron Works Music, which is owned by actor Kiefer Sutherland and musician Jude Cole and also home to Rocco DeLuca.

Times Being opens with “Hands of Time”, which contemplates mortality. The delicate “Snow Angels” follows with the tale of a man haunted by his own guilty conscience and the mysterious snow angel that plagues him every winter.

“I Think We’re Lost” masks the fears and tensions of the lyrics beneath a lighter melody. “All In Good Time” is a more upbeat nod to hindsight and patience, and “Some Dusty Things” shows appreciation for the little possessions that bring joy.

The bluesy “Jazz At The Bookstore” pokes fun at how the Starbucks culture has altered the perception of jazz and blues, while “The Grim Trucker” tells of pigs being driven to the slaughter.

Sexsmith apparently imagined Bing Crosby or Michael Bublé singing the ballad “Reason For Our Love” when he wrote it, while the morbid lyrics of “Cold Hearted Wind” and “And Now The Day Is Done” were penned with Johnny Cash and Elliot Smith in mind.

Ron Sexsmith’s Official Site
Ron on MySpace
Iron Works Music

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