Sarah Buxton

Sarah Buxton made her first inroads into the public eye as a studio singer and a professional songwriter, and her 2010 eponymous debut puts those skills to good use. From its songs to its surface, Sarah Buxton bears all the evidence of being carefully constructed, with each element designed to reach the broadest possible audience. The harshest element here is the hint of sandpaper in Buxton’s voice, offering some friction against the bright, chipper cheer of the productions -- enough to give it a little bit of soul, enough reason to spin the record again, to get through the gleaming production and realize that Buxton, who co-wrote all but one of the tracks here, is a solid writer and performer who may not buck convention but delivers the expected with a degree of girl-next-door charm.