A talent woefully underserved by the term "singer-songwriter," Martin Sexton treads the same lonely path to greatness as Ben Harper. Sexton is building a loyal following drawn by the passion of his live shows. He is so willfully eclectic and confident that he may leave the new listener perplexed by the chopping and changing of idioms; he defies categorization in ways that give the reviewer a hard task in alerting would-be listeners. He sings in the style of a number of soul legends--high one minute, humming from his throat the next--then, as in "Where Did I Go Wrong with You," can croon with himself as accompaniment. He is a fine musician, playing all the guitars on this album, alongside session bassist Tony Levin and keyboard virtuoso David Sancious. He crafts a fine song, too. Among many highlights, the soulful introspection of "Real Man" stands out. One word of caution: the rollicking opener, "Angeline," is irritatingly catchy, but not typical of the rest of the album.