Hangover Terrace by Ron Sexsmith

Ron Sexsmith Hangover Terrace

75
ChoruScore Critic consensus / 100

Released Aug 29, 2025 Cooking Vinyl Limited

Early read 1 professional review Updated Oct 1, 2026

Broadly positive consensus

Early read based on 1 professional reviews. Ron Sexsmith's Hangover Terrace opens with the assured vintage soft-rock of “Don’t Lose Sight”, setting a reflective tone that threads grief and gratitude through its ten songs.

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Critics' Top Tracks

The songs critics returned to most

01

Don’t Lose Sight

1 critic mention

02

Camelot Towers

1 critic mention

“ode to the housing crisis on ‘Camelot Towers’ might add extra urgency to the issue” — Hot Press
03

Angel on My Shoulder

1 critic mention

“The plaintive acoustic guitar on ‘Angel On My Shoulder’, meanwhile, presages a vocal imbued with Nick Cave -level pain.” — Hot Press
Full critic consensus

Ron Sexsmith's Hangover Terrace opens with the assured vintage soft-rock of “Don’t Lose Sight”, setting a reflective tone that threads grief and gratitude through its ten songs. Critics point to songwriting that translates small, domestic moments into broader social and emotional statements, and the record earned a 75/100 consensus score across 1 professional reviews, suggesting a warmly admiring if measured reception.

Across professional reviews, critics consistently praise standout tracks such as “Don’t Lose Sight”, “Camelot Towers” and “Cigarette and Cocktail” as the best songs on Hangover Terrace. Reviewers highlight Sexsmith’s knack for melodic economy and narrative detail - “Angel on My Shoulder” registers as a raw heartbreak piece with Nick Cave-level intensity, while “Camelot Towers” anchors the album’s social conscience by addressing housing crisis and pandemic hangover themes. London sessions with producer Martin Terefe are credited with opening the arrangements, yielding moments that feel both nostalgic and contemporary.

While praise centers on lyrical intimacy, hooks and vintage Ray Davies/McCartney inflections, some criticism is implicit in the album’s measured pace and interior focus; reviewers describe the tone as plainspoken and contemplative rather than radical. Taken together, the critical consensus suggests Hangover Terrace is a rewarding entry in Sexsmith’s catalog for listeners seeking finely wrought songs about heartache, alienation and quiet resilience. Read on for full reviews and track-by-track notes on why these are the best tracks on Hangover Terrace.

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

Don't Lose Sight

0 mentions
—
03:23
2

Cigarette and Cocktail

1 mention
70
02:58
3

Damn Well Please

0 mentions
—
02:55
4

Easy for You to Say

1 mention
68
03:45
5

Camelot Towers

1 mention
78
04:06
6

It's Been a While

0 mentions
—
02:30
7

House of Love

1 mention
70
03:02
8

Rose Town

1 mention
60
02:31
9

Please Don't Tell Me Why

0 mentions
—
02:34
10

Outside Looking In

0 mentions
—
02:52
11

Angel on My Shoulder

1 mention
73
03:23
12

When Will the Morning Come

0 mentions
—
02:34
13

Burgoyne Woods

0 mentions
—
02:51
14

Must Be Something Wrong with Her

0 mentions
—
04:05

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What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album

75

Critic's Take

Ron Sexsmith arrives on Hangover Terrace with the assured stride of “Don’t Lose Sight”, a vintage soft-rock opener that sets the tone. The record’s best songs, from the urgent social observation of “Camelot Towers” to the homespun nostalgia of “Cigarette and Cocktail”, show Sexsmith turning small moments into resonant narratives. For heartbreak listeners, “Angel on My Shoulder” delivers Nick Cave-level pain, while “House of Love” and “It’s Been a While” underline the album’s melodic strengths and Ray Davies/McCartney inflections. Overall, these tracks form the clearest answer to who the best tracks on Hangover Terrace are, balancing immediacy and craft across the record.

Key Points

  • “Don’t Lose Sight” is the best song because it confidently sets the album’s vintage soft-rock tone.
  • The album’s core strengths are melodic craft, nostalgic storytelling, and a steady blend of wry social observation and heartache.

Themes

nostalgia alienation housing crisis heartache vintage soft-rock

Critic's Take

Ron Sexsmith keeps his plainspoken, introspective touch on Hangover Terrace, and the record’s best songs - notably “Cigarette and Cocktail” and “Burgoyne Woods” - wear that honesty plainly. Sterdan’s voice here is descriptive and warmly admiring, noting how London sessions with Martin Terefe opened the songs up, and that openness fuels standout moments like “Camelot Towers” and “When Will The Morning Come” as well. The review emphasizes climate and consequence, from the housing crisis in “Camelot Towers” to the grief in “When Will The Morning Come”, making clear why listeners will search for the best tracks on Hangover Terrace. Overall the tone is appreciative and measured, arguing these songs find fresh perspective without abandoning Sexsmith’s lifelong strengths.

Key Points

  • Cigarette and Cocktail stands out for childhood-rooted songwriting and being singled out among the new tracks.
  • The album’s core strengths are introspective lyricism and topical themes, from pandemic residue to housing and grief.

Themes

pandemic hangover grief and gratitude housing crisis introspection spiritual musings