THE SEXTONES: Love Can’t Be Borrowed (Record Kicks)

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Over the course of the year we’ve tracked the remarkable progress of US band, the SEXTONES. The band are named for brothers Mark  and Christopher Sexton who along with childhood friends Alexander Korostinsky and  Daniel Weiss came together to share their mutual love and respect for classic soul. We got to know ‘em via a clutch of tasty singles – all covers which showed the boys’ knowledge of the genre. First there was a faithful cover of Jean Plum’s gorgeous 1975 Hi outing ‘Here I Go Again’, then their take Papa Bear and his Cubs’ ‘You’re So Fine’ and finally  a classy rendition of the Intruders’ mighty ‘Cowboys To Girls’. They then announced they were working on an album from which we’ve enjoyed more singles released as soulful  tasters.

Now at last, the album , ‘Love Can’t Be Borrowed’ is with us and, unusual for this industry, the LP really does live up to the hype, delivering more of that sweet and soulful sound that made the singles so attractive and popular.

Those five taster singles have lost none of their charm or vitality. To remind you they were the Delfonics-flavoured ‘Better Late Than Never’, the classic 60s call and response sounds of ‘Without You’, the two sweet, harmony ballads  ‘Daydreaming’ and ‘Beck And Call’ and the breezy, brassy title track. The new songs all channel the same vibe. They are ‘This Could Last Forever’ (another uptown, harmony ballad), ‘Trouble On My Mind’ (a deeper, more disturbing ballad), ‘The Other Side’ ( a tougher, almost funky cut), ‘Getaway Driver’ (built around an insistent riff) and ‘Your Love Shines Golden’ (an uplifting groove which encapsulates  everything we’ve come to know and love about the Sextones). The ten tracks show that the foursome and producer Kelly Finnigan are masters of the retro soul sound.

Interestingly though, the band are no Johnny-come-latelys! They’ve been around since 2015 and  debuted on record in 2017 with their self-released ‘Moonlight Vision’ album. It was “big in Japan” when released on P-Vine Records. Copies are now reasonably hard to find, so let’s just enjoy the charm and quality of the new album. Retro soul at its very best!

(BB) 5/5

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