Martin Sexton - Seeds

It has been ten years since Martin Sexton first appeared on the street corners of Harvard Square, slithering between octaves on acoustic rhythms that forged an alliance between funk and folk. In this last decade, acoustic soul, practiced by a range of artists from India.Arie to Ben Harper, has become its own genre. Sexton, however, has been left behind in the singer-songwriter ghetto. Perhaps his songs are too personal to break into a collective groove. There is nothing on Seeds that is going to spur an arena crowd into holding their t-shirts above their heads, or even answer his question, "Are you ready to rock and roll?" because it is clear that Sexton is not. This is a likeable collection, though, one that will appeal more to the finger-picking crowd than those who want to get down on the one. For an example of how weirdly Sexton crosses his influences, check out "How Far I've Come" and hear traces of "Little Green Apples," "Younger Generation," and "Winchester Cathedral" all balled up into one song. [www.martinsexton.com]