Customer Reviews

Sugarcoating

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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."

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.

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.

I was not familiar with Martin Sexton until I heard one of the cuts on this CD, Livin the Life. Based on that, I bought the CD and I am very happy I did. This collection offers folk, rock, country and ballads. Martin Sexton is a very talented and versitile artist. The more you listen to this CD, the more it will grow on you.

Marty has been steadily pumping out solid music for more than half my lifetime. I often feel underwhelmed by music because I am holding it to the Martin Sexton standard. While this is no Black Sheep (my favorite album of all time) or Wonder Bar, it still blows away most mainstream music. I have been with him from the beginning and, while there are a few lumps of coal on this one, Sugarcoating is still a diamond in the grand scheme of things. Sit back with a good amp, a pair of nice speakers, close your eyes, and enjoy the pureness of his voice and meticulous recording quality. He's always a breath of fresh air. By the way, I am downloading the digital because my friend, new to Martin, stole my copy.

The day I opened the mailbox and found Marty's new album, "Sugarcoating" inside I was as happy as a kid in a candy shop. I always look forward to new projects from this artist because they are never, ever boring. I have 30 Martin Sexton songs on my ipod and now have more to add - why so many? Because he really does capture the interesting parts of life, pulls them right out of the banality of daily living and fleshes them out so listeners can take a closer look. Martin pokes and prods until he figures out how he feels and thinks about something, then writes it into a song. His personal commitment to being a good person makes his music even more appealing. This album expresses more highs and lows than I have seen in some of his recent projects and seems to reflect the process of his growing ever more human - it ain't easy sometimes, other times it is so delightful. Wonderful, interesting, thought-provoking work.