Colleen Sexton's GREATEST FIND on SACD, thumbs up!

Rachael B · 11-11-2003, 12:04 AM

Folks, myself included, bitch that there's not enough new music on SACD, well, Colleen Sexton has managed to slip through. Her new album GREATEST FIND is a very intresting album. She's new to me and new enough to pacify my new streak some, well a little! She's a hard to catergorize artist for me... alternative country, folk rock, mild rocker (?), singer-songwriter, ...?...take your pick or suggest a better discription to me!

She has written some very good songs for this album IMO, actually, some of them have co-authors but many are singly credited to her. The only imports are the song that seemed to ispire the album's title, Marc Benno's GOLDEN TREASURE that I always thought was the highlight of his debut album many, many moons ago, and a secret 13th cut (it's not listed on the track listings), WILD BIRD by Lorraine Duisit. The stringmen who pick for her seem above average with their guitars, dobros, and mandolines, and fiddles. This is string type music, there are no keyboards. She's credited as a guitarist and is seen on the album's backcover acoustic guitar in hand.

The album opens with a nice little countryish ditty called GOT YOU ON MY MIND that has a nice mandolin part stacked on top the guitar parts. Colleen's vocals are just a slight bit raspy here and there but that seems to be her style. Her lyrics about infatuation/new love on this one are real nice. On MEAN STREAK she really sounds like a 70's rock singer-songwriter, sort'a? ...to me anyway. I'd say the same thing about track #3 BENEDICTION despite a subtle dobro in the background that almost lends a country air.

On SCHOOL DAYS a song that seems untrue to it's title (maybe it's about playing hooky?), she rather reminds me of Linda Ronstadt in her early days. Not as good of a singer but same sort of country rock feel.

I was really suprised to see Marc Benno's song GOLDEN TREASURE show up here. When I saw the track listings I said, nah, it's proably a different song with the same title. I was pleasantly suprised it was the old gem when it came on. It's nice to see it brought back from a virtually lost, late 60's album.

To me, the highlight of the album is VENTURE CAPITALIST. It's a rather catchy, imaginative song about whoring. "...She is venturing out with a capitalist, she's selling off her assets, just like on the exchange, she's selling love like junk bonds, she's selling love it don't ever come cheap..." This is a song that sounds like it should be a hit.

WILD BIRD the extra, 13th song, is virtually A Capella. Her only accompanyment is what sounds like a hand drum. It's a beautiful song and the performance is reminiscent of Joni Mitchell's A Capella THE FIDDLE AND THE DRUM, sort'a? It's a fitting end to an excellent album IMO. Colleen isn't the greatest singer to come down the pike but she seems more than adequate on whatever she tries on this album. She really suprised me on WILD BIRD, she really makes it a thing of pure beauty.

The album seems rather well recorded, in stereo. I'm not sure if it's DSD recorded but it sounds good enough that it might be? It's a hybrid and it has a M/C mix, but to be honest, I haven't listened to it yet. I promise I will squeez it in the M/C mix between films real soon and report back on it.

There's alot of good songs on this album and Colleen seems capable of becoming a star but in what arena? She seems to be searching for a style or maybe an audience, yeah, that too. I hope Colleen ends up more than a flash in the pan because I'm jones-ing for another album by her already.

Lee Scoggins · 11-11-2003, 09:47 AM

Thanks for the review Rachael. I will keep my eye out for it.

TomCW · 11-11-2003, 10:07 AM

Rachael, all I'm finding is the CD. Where'd ya find the SACD? Sounds interesting!
Tom

Rachael B · 11-11-2003, 10:23 AM

Tom, I proably got it from Acoustic Sounds??? ...seems like that's where I last ordered out from. I'm purr-dy sure I didn't get it at Busted Buy. I've had the disc for about a month and everytime I listen to it, I like it even more.

TomCW · 11-11-2003, 11:50 AM

Thx, I'll check there.
Tom

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TomCW · 11-11-2003, 09:13 PM

Rachael,
Well... The only place I could find this was at Acoustic Sounds, for 19 and 99/100 united states dollars (How much is that in Polenzannia bucks?) plus shipping. I bought it anyway, on your recommendation (and a few clips I found).
I hope you can live with the awesome responsibility of removing $20+ from my poor, thin wallet.

Thx for the great review,

Tom

Rachael B · 11-11-2003, 10:18 PM

I'm shameless Tom, I don't feel guilty!!

I'm sure you'll like it. Everybody who's heard it at my house has really liked it. It's a shame that it's not more widely available. Best wishes!

Chat C · 11-14-2003, 10:39 AM

Thanks for the info, I've been a huge fan of her brother Martin Sexton for years, but didn't know how worthy she was as an artist considering how good he is. Look forward to hearing this, hopefully some of his releases will get the mutli-channel treatment in the future.

Rachael B · 11-14-2003, 01:43 PM

Chat, her brother Martin only plays and sings on one song, SCHOOL DAYS. It doesn't look like he directly influenced the album much. She seems purr-dy good on her own. I've never listened to Martin, consciously, anyway. You've got my curiosity up. I may look him up.

The M/C mix is purr-dy E-Z to review. About half the cuts use the rears for mostly ambience. The others let a little more slip in, some percussion. One song spread a guitar part, faintly, into the rears. I noticed it because it was antitypical. The only exception was the bonus, 13th cut. It's A Capella, nearly. It has just vocals and some kind of, I think, hand drum...? It was done in a sort'a 5-channel stereo thang. The sound seems equal and identical from all five channels.

In the front channels, it seems like the vocals are always spread accross all 3 speakers as do instruments. There's nothing tricky going on here. Nobody's panning instruments around. Compared to the stereo mix, the string instuments seem to have a bigger, airy image. To this end it seems the mix is a success. Anything 2 speakers could do, 3 could do it better. That's how it seems here.

People of earth attention, this is a voice speaking to you from millions of miles beyond your sun, Colleen Sexton is purr-dy good... She's worth checking out!

TomCW · 11-29-2003, 11:41 AM

Rachael, finally got my disc from Acoustic Sounds yesterday and listened to it a coupla times... verrrry nize.
I'm on an MC tear at the moment and this one is quite good, no guitars flying around the room, just a lot of intimacy. Your review is pretty much spot on, you should post it over at SACD Info for the world to read.
Thanks again for the recommend.

Tom

Rachael B · 11-29-2003, 12:01 PM

Apparently Tom,,, I wrote it for you!

Atleast juding by the responses to this thread.

Hay thar ev-ar-budy elst out there, this is a good album! Get'em while they're stille warm...