This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Songwriters always compare their songs to children. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that acclaimed Canadian songsmith Ron Sexsmith refers to his leftover tunes “orphaned songs.”
And on the blandly titled Rarities, he complies 16 of them, from leftovers and demos to live cuts and B-sides. Much of the time, it’s hard to tell the difference between these and his more familiar works. They have the same earnest melodies, the same melancholy intimacy, the same graceful wit and, of course, Ron’s bittersweet butterscotch vocals. The only difference perhaps, is that even Ron’s orphans would be the apples of any other songwriter’s eye.
