Ron Sexsmith

If contemplations of mortality dominate Sexsmith's seventh LP, his reunion with producer Mitchell Froom treats the topic with the warmth and elegance of his younger days. Sure, the night seems "darker than it used to" on "I Think We're Lost," but these songs brim with wonder, not regret--even allowing a bit of wry wisecracking about boomers' love for "Jazz At the Bookstore." When the White Album-inspired "The Grim Trucker" asks "Will we wake to wings in heaven? Or to hooves and snout?" Sexsmith answers by whistling a carefree melody, as if strolling past a graveyard.