Ron Sexsmith is either incredibly consistent or maddeningly inflexible — perhaps both.

Over nine studio albums, he has danced with the girl that brung him, rarely straying from his signature McCartney-esque singer-songwriter blend of folk and pop. And by rarely, I mean never. If you listened to his albums at random, you’d have a hard time putting them in chronological order. Sure, his vocals have gotten stronger and his production a little more crisp, but only by the smallest degrees. His idea of a bold stylistic departure is hiring a horn section to back him up on a few tracks.

He does just that on his latest album, Exit Strategy of the Soul, and all joking aside, it’s an inspired touch — the horns add an earthy layer to his airy acoustic songs.

And this turns out to be one of his best collections in awhile. It’s not at the level of 2001’s Blue Boy (still his finest hour) but it’s certainly his best since 2002’s Cobblestone Runway. Bookended by a pair of lovely instrumental tracks, the 12 proper songs here are a soulful bunch.

Most successful are the love songs, and the lost-love songs. ‘Brandy Alexander’ (co-written with Feist) is an upbeat smash, while ‘Ghost of a Chance’ mines more somber territory with similar results. My favorite track might be ‘Brighter Still,’ a call for optimism with a great piano line and a memorable chorus. I’m less thrilled by a pair of tracks about the environment — I’m as ‘green’ as the next guy, but I don’t want to sing along to lyrics about making our kids “pick up the tab.”

If you’re new to Sexsmith, this is as good a place to start as any. If you’re a fan, you probably already own this, and if you don’t you won’t be disappointed.