Sugarcoating

Martin Sexton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kitchen Table
• ASIN: B0037RBVYM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,105 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

With Sugarcoating, Sexton may well have made his defining record. It is an unquestionable high point for this modern-day troubadour who headlines premiere venues across the country, oversees his label KTR and derives great satisfaction from livin the life he has made for himself. These are the fruits of a combination of rarefied talent, fierce determination, and work.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Talented Songwriter, Musician - A Must Own for Sexton Fans, May 15, 2010

By 

A. Boyd "GoodTunesHubdotcom" (Boston MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sugarcoating (Audio CD)

Martin Sexton could be too talented for his own good - his voice is a meticulous instrument on its own, he is a fine songwriter and accomplished guitarist. Over the years Sexton's music has grown in sound and production - his April '10 release, Sugarcoating, is Sexton's 9th album in 18 years with a sound blending mellow rock, bluesy shuffles and contemporary folk infused with dashes of funk, jazz, soul and gospel. Typical Sexton. Lyrically, Sugarcoating finds him in a confessional frame of mind, addressing some fairly personal and potent themes - the heaviness of personal experience, both good and bad. What I wonder? Songs are often so immediately accessible and appear so effortless, you wonder if they almost come too easily to him. Will they last? Time will tell, but this is yet another nice release worth owning.

GENRES: Contemporary Folk, Mellow Rock.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Ellis Paul, The Beatles.

MUST HEAR TRACKS: "Found," "Boom Sh-Boom," "Stick Around," Long Haul," "Shane."

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Where is Martin Headed?, September 17, 2010

By 

AV in MD - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sugarcoating (Audio CD)

I became a fan of Martin Sexton's after hearing The American, a great album that showcased his amazing voice and song writing talents. I especially appreciated that his music was a little edgy: "Candy" and "The Beast In Me" are definitely not standard folk music. Wonder Bar is another great CD, with at least half a dozen excellent songs.

So where is he going with Sugarcoating? With songs like the title cut and "Stick Around," he appears headed from the edge right to the middle of the pop highway. I expect the latter or "Living the Life" might be picked up as the theme for a sit-com. I hear a little of the old Martin in "Found" and "Wants Out," maybe even in "Always Got Away," but "Friends Again" and "Easy On the Eyes"? Who is this guy? "Boom Sh-Boom" is just plain horrible.

If you've never heard of Martin Sexton before, you might like this CD. New listeners could rate Sugarcoating 4 stars based solely on the power of his voice. I suspect most of his old fans are left scratching their heads however, and would rate this no higher than a 2. The more I listen to this CD, the less I like it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great release: lush and thought-provoking, plus sweet., April 22, 2010

By 

K. Moneysmith (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sugarcoating (Audio CD)

I rarely buy music but I will buy a Martin Sexton CD the same week it's released. I saw this artist in concert several years ago and was blown away. His latest offering, Sugarcoating, delivers what I've come to expect from him: thought-provoking lyrics coupled with his distinctively lush folk-plus-soul sound (with a bit of a jazz twist). I'm still deciding what songs I like best (his music always deserves multiple listens) but I'm leaning towards "Found" (the first track) where his voice gets to soar, "Sugarcoating," a very disconcerting song (it asks some hard questions about 9/11 and the years since yet it's such a bouncy tune you'll be singing along), and "Just To Be Alive," a lovely song to listen to as you drive along with the car windows down on a late-spring evening. There are songs that have you questioning your priorities but also songs that make you feel happy about life and love. A big thanks to Mr. Sexton for another great album.