Forever Endeavour

Acclaimed songwriter Ron Sexsmith returns with a new album, Forever Endeavour. In a world of workaday singer-songwriters mired in vacuous self-regard, this news can only gladden the heart of those who care about deftly poetic, gently affecting songs that perfectly distil the pitfalls of being human. Especially as this record pairs the "master pop craftsman" (Austin Chronicle) again with Froom, who, on numerous records over two decades, has framed Sexsmith's music in its most sympathetic surroundings. "Mitchell's someone I've always looked up to," says Sexsmith, "They don't really make producers like him anymore." The twelve original songs on Forever Endeavour were written in the wake of Sexsmith's 2011 release Long Player, Late Bloomer. Returning him to the bittersweet melancholia on which diehard fans have feasted since 1995, the new songs seemed to cry out for a softer, more orchestrated treatment than the gleaming electric sheen of its predecessor. "With Long Player, I think I wanted to make something sort of like Tapestry – just sort of catchy from start to finish," says Sexsmith, "But these were perfect songs to work on with Mitchell. It's probably the most personal album I've made, too, so it felt appropriate to do it with him." The album was recorded in 2011 at Froom's Santa Monica studio. Assisting on the sessions were engineer David Boucher and a clutch of seasoned West Coast players that included drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Bob Glaub and pedal steel prince Greg Leisz. Strings were overdubbed afterwards using L.A.'s feted Calder Quartet.