Kitchen Table Records

Martin Sexton’s career spans two decades and nearly ten releases. Though he’s on a major or DIY label (KTR), one aspect of Sexton’s brand of folk remains constant: its unwavering candor. The title of his ninth album, Sugarcoating, should be viewed ironically as the track bearing its name pulls few punches in its analysis of post-9/11 politics. He croons, “Nobody wonders why, with all the sweet sweet sweet sugarcoating, the nightly news gone entertainment biz, and the politicians out showboatin’, won’t somebody tell it like it is.” But Sexton’s magic lies in a melismatic charm that eases lyrical weight, creating music rooted in reality, yet sanguine in its finger-snapping buoyance. And little rings truer or reaches higher than his utter joy of family ( “Shane,” “Boom Sh-Boom” ), no sugarcoating required.