hough it is not an exact match, I would like to draw a comparison between Ron Sexsmith and, legendary actor, Spencer Tracy. Tracy was very much a master of his craft without being selfish or overbearing, one you might describe as an “actor’s actor.” Sexsmith mirrors this ability with his mastered trade, writing unassuming and nostalgic folk music with near-perfect lyricism—a songwriter’s songwriter. Both men are/were well accomplished in their fields, rewarded several times over for their work. Spencer and Ron both seem to be devoid of egotistical indulgences, keeping them from the tips of everyone’s tongues of gossip and opinion. Though both men’s charms are evident, they are not as outward about it as some of their contemporaries, which may be the reason why they will never have the widespread appeal that some of their contemporaries have. And though both men had/have successful solo careers, they leave their most indelible marks as one-half of a harmonizing duo.

Tracy’s partner was Katharine Hepburn, one of the most celebrated actresses ever to grace the screen. She played the perfect yin to Spencer’s yang, and it is nearly impossible to think of one without the other. Ron Sexsmith’s collaborator, Don Kerr, is of a much lower profile than Hepburn, but the chemistry that is created when the two get together is at least equal to that of Tracy and Hepburn.

The thirteen songs that can be found on the duo’s first titular collaboration, Destination Unknown, were originally written as part of the sessions which produced Sexsmith’s last album, Retriever, but went unused on that release. As Sexsmith dictates in the liner notes of Destination, “[I]t occurred to me that the song ‘Only Me’ had a sort of Everly Brothers vibe about it and I guess the light bulb came on over my head.” So he brought Kerr back to the studio and re-imagined each already-recorded track as a two-part harmony (both vocally and musically), very much in the vein of his Everly Brothers-inspired epiphany.

And this is where Don Kerr really becomes the star of this show. The years of musical chemistry and pooling of resources certainly shine through, and we get a sound that feels as if it has been festering since an early childhood friendship that is suggested in the album’s artwork. (Incidentally, they’ve been producing music together since the late ‘80s.) Kerr’s additions to each and every tune take the album from being just another good Ron Sexsmith album to a truly special throwback to the great folk duos of yesteryear. In an age where folk music mostly shows up either in the form of genre-breeding folk-tronica or artist-shifting turns for an album, this brand of folk music reminds us of simpler times gone by.

In fact, the concept of time recurs as a central theme for the album, mostly parallel with the coming and going of love. Album opener “Listen” christens the rebirth of a new spring and all the optimism it promises. “Reacquainted” gives us spring fever all over again, only to have “Counting On Time” knock the sense playfully back into us and remind us that we must be patient. This fortitude brings its rewards with “You’ve Been Waiting,” with all the glory of a relationship that we get too wrapped up in too quickly. “Raindrops In My Coffee” holds our hand through that inevitable moment of despair (“Raindrops or tears/rolling down my cheek?”), but we pull ourselves back into our journey through this world with closers “Your Guess Is As Good As Mine” and “Tree-Lined Street.” Time passes and, little by little, we grow and evolve.

But the album never once takes an introverted turn; it always keeps us on our feet and moving forward. With all these simple, nostalgic harmonies and undemanding lyrical events, it really takes the listeners plight of life and omits all the unimportant bullshit that can cloud our thoughts and stresses. Maybe life isn’t quite this simple, but we sure wish it could be sometimes.