VARIOUS approaches have been made to recording Ron Sexsmith, the low-key Canadian singer-songwriter.

Often, the simple, unadorned way has been best; an outing with the estimable Steve Earle on production duties didn't work at all, which was a puzzle.

Now, Sexsmith has gone for his most approachable style yet, with producer Martin Terefe giving his simple, emotional songs a full, almost pop-like sound, filling out the empty spaces.

It should be stressed that Sexsmith does empty spaces beautifully, but this sympathetic full production works very well too. Everything that makes him such a charming, slightly oddball singer remains, not least in the lovably mundane lyrics.

Who else would start a song, and indeed an album, with the downbeat words: "I'm a bit run down/But I'm OK"? Indeed he is. This is a consistently fine album with one highlight after another, although personal preference would pick out the soul-tinged What It Takes and the fragile, observant Imaginary Friends, a child-like song about false friends.

If you haven't got into Ron Sexsmith yet, now you have no excuse.

Updated: 08:43 Thursday, June 03, 2004