Martin Sexton is trying to bring people together — for their own good, and for the good of America, he says.

“That’s the kind of record I wanted to make,” says Sexton of his new disc, “Sugarcoating.” “I wanted to write songs that focused more on how much we are all alike, as opposed the ways in which we’re different. I don’t like the way there is so much focus in America on our differences — that someone is either white or black, dumb or smart, rich or poor…..

“I really think we need to focus on unity, because if we’re a unified population, we’re harder to conquer. I think it’s important to look at everyone as just being our brothers and sisters,” says Sexton, who comes to The Ark on Wednesday, April 21 for 2 shows. (He'll also play a free mini-concert at the downtown Borders store earlier that day.)

This state of mind was inspired by the political divisiveness that has seemingly been ripping the country apart for the last decade — and by what Sexton thinks is the unchecked power of corporations to have their way, no matter what, to the detriment of everyday people.

“I feel like we, as a population, and as a middle class, are under attack by the ruling class — and that the government, over the last several years, has become almost a PR firm for the corporations,” says Martin Sexton during a recent phone interview.

“The last couple of years have been an awakening for me about how the world seems to work and not work. There’s so much bull----. I don’t believe a thing I hear anymore on the news or anywhere else; you’ve gotta dig if you want a real answer about what’s going on.

“I’m concerned, because I feel since 9/11 the world has gone downhill: Our rights are going out the window and the powers that be continue to usurp our freedom under the guise of safety. My music has always been more about inspiration and entertainment, but this time I felt the need to toss some awareness into the mix.”

Sexton displays his discontent with this state of the nation in the title song — an unsettling look at America, post-9/11. In the song, Sexton sings: “I wonder why, nobody wonders why / With all the sweet, sweet, sweet, sugarcoating / The nightly news gone entertainment biz / And the politicians out showboatin’ / One day somebody tell it like it is.”

But Sexton uses a savvy songwriter’s trick — akin to the one often employed by the likes of Richard Thompson and Elvis Costello: He seduces listeners into the song by setting these observations to a brisk, bouncy arrangement — reeling in listeners before they can back out of something they otherwise might flinch from.

“Exactly!,” says Sexton. “That’s precisely what I attempted. It’s a pretty heavy topic, so you can’t just strum your acoustic and do it really spare, or grim. If I did, I’m sure the rabble-rousers and those on the left would say, ‘Yeah, this is great!’ — but I could lose people who don’t share that perspective. So I wanted to find a romping, catchy melody, and make it danceable, so people would listen to the whole song. My mother is a bona fide Republican, and she loves it,” says Sexton with a laugh.

“It’s not really a protest song, it’s more of a questioning song.”

But as a songwriter who is often inspired by everyday events, Sexton also includes songs on “Sugarcoating” that celebrate the pleasures of everyday life. “Long Haul” — a Bakersfield-style country tune that’s prodded along by the growling Telecaster riffs of the the great Duke Levine — extols the virtues of a long-term relationship. “Ain’t no passing phase,” sings Sexton. “I’m in it for the long haul.”

And the moving “Shane” ponders what experiences await his infant son when the child grows up, accompanied by a sentiment likely shared by many parents: “Shane, soon you’ll be walking on your own / Strange, sometimes I wish you’d just keep crawling,” croons Sexton in his emotive, expressive voice.

Listen to the Martin Sexton album “Sugarcoating”:

“Yeah, I’ve always written about personal stuff, and drawn on the events of my own life,” reflects Sexton. “And it’s not an entirely conscious decision that I made to take that approach to writing. I’d say it was about 25 percent conscious, but the lion’s share of it is that that’s just the way I write — that’s just the way songs come out of me.”

One critic once observed that Sexton, as a songwriter, “connected the personal to the universal.”

“Yeah, I remember seeing that, and thinking, ‘Wow, that sounds cool,’ and I took it as a compliment, because the more personal you are, as a writer, the more universal you can be.”

Stylistically, the album is like many Sexton discs — an eclectic mix of various styles. There’s the aforementioned country tune, and “Livin’ the Life” is a clavinet-driven track that rides a funky groove. “Easy on the Eyes” is a ragtime romp featuring a “voice-trumpet” solo from Sexton, and “Stick Around” channels the Beatles with its buoyant popcraft.

“I think it’s boring to just have every song be in the same style,” says Sexton. “Record-industry types used to try to shoehorn me into a single style, but it was too confining. I like making a record that sounds like a mix tape.”

Kevin Ransom is a free-lance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at KevinRansom10@aol.com.

Martin Sexton performing live in Canada late last year: