Ron Sexsmith is as surprised as anyone he has a new album out.

The Toronto-based singer-songwriter was in London, England, on his way home from an exhausting four-month tour of Asia and Europe last August when his manager convinced him to hit the studio where his producer Martini Terefe was waiting for him.

"It was the last thing on my mind I wanted to do ... at that time I was practically talking to myself," he admits. "I had a lot of songs but I didn't have a lot of ideas, my mind was too tired. I just wanted to go home and drink my own coffee, but I went there, and (Terefe) had worked out all this stuff, and it sounded great."

The sessions resulted in Sexsmith's new album, Retriever, which he is happy with, despite his reluctance to hang around London during last summer's heatwave to record it.

"It was kind of great to be able to finish the tour and have a record as well," he says.

The album is a back-to-basics recording for the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, without the electronic experimentation that marked 2002's Cobblestone Runway.

"It's more straight ahead and more of a rock album. We didn't want to over think it so much, we just wanted to set up and play," he says.

Lyrically Sexsmith hasn't changed -- with stories about his life, friendship, self-doubt and love; although the album title was supposed to be named after a dog.

He was going to call it Golden Retriever, but changed it after the Super Furry Animals released a single of the same name.

"After the fact you try to make it fit and all my albums could have been called Retriever, because every album I make I hope it's going to go out there and bring me back some good luck," he says.

Each one has, in the form of an ever growing fanbase, he says. He has no ambitions to play arenas but would like to stay home more so he could see his teenage children from his first marriage and hang out with his girlfriend.

Maybe it's getting older that has him tired of sluggin' it out on the road -- Sexsmith turned 40 this year.

"I felt the 30s were a lot of struggle trying to get off the ground and now I'm thinking this is the way things will come together. I know Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams got successful after they were 40," he says.

As one of the greatest songwriters to come out of Canada -- fans include Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello -- that most people don't' know, here's hopin' Retriever brings him all the luck he needs.