Marc Carroll

Posted in World On A Wire - reviews on 20/10/2010

World On A Wire

Bertus (Netherlands)

Irish singer/ songwriter Marc Carroll takes a notable step away from the intelligent guitar Pop of his debut. "World On A Wire" is darker and deeper, while Marc's feeling for harmony and melody luckily does lay bare rich underlying textures. Ian McCulloch? Wilco? The Byrds? In any way inspired Pop with a lovely edge.

Posted in World On A Wire - reviews on 20/10/2010

World On A Wire

Retecool (Netherlands)

Irish "balladeer" Marc Carroll may well be a songwriter, but he surely comes from upon high. "World On Wire" sounds as if he, standing on a mountain, is playing folky, punky Americana down into the valley and the melodies roll along the dunes. And then that fine abrasive voice with the wonderful Irish "R"! We haven't heard this kind of music for some time. Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) must be on his guard because this singer songwriter is immeasurably more digestible. Ryan Adams must also be on his guard because Marc Carroll is a lot more sympathetic.

Posted in Ten Of Swords - reviews on 20/10/2010

Ten Of Swords

Mojo

Marc Carroll - Ten Of Swords (Evangeline).

Solo debut from acclaimed Irish folk-rocker

Crafting this engaging outing entirely on his lonesome, with a soul full of Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds and some would say The Buzzcocks, his songs are extraordinarily easy on the ear. This is both good and bad because many will assume songs as sweetly chiming as Crashpad Number or as soothing as the close harmony gem Silent And Blind are merely easy listening retro-pastiches. On closer inspection, Carroll's lyrics are clearly the product of an interesting life, always suggesting fascinating situations without ever making them clear. Carroll could become a big fish in the small pond of intelligent British singer-songwriters or go to Nashville and become a millionaire.

Posted in Ten Of Swords - reviews on 20/10/2010

Ten Of Swords

Uncut (4 Stars)

Pick of the crop is Irish man Marc Carroll's debut, an ambitious distillation of wonky 1960's; whimsy (Kinks, Traffic, Floyd) and Trippy psychedelia (`You Saved My Life` is pre-glam Bolan chomping down the fattest mushroom), Just when you expect the canter of unicorn hooves, he throws up the pile driving fuzz pop curveball `Weird Dreams`.

Posted in Ten Of Swords - reviews on 20/10/2010

Ten Of Swords

The Village Voice, New York

Named for an infamous Bob Dylan bootleg and probably not the card in the tarot deck - Ten of Swords is the most recent from acclaimed Irish folk-rocker Marc Carroll. He's talented and commercial enough to break big in the US - there's a hell of a lot more substance here than say David Gray or Pete Yorn - his songs sound like a singer-songwriter version of the Byrds and at times a jacked-up Wilco.

Posted in Ten Of Swords - reviews on 20/10/2010

Ten Of Swords

The Times (UK) (3 stars)

Marc Carroll Ten of Swords (Evangeline). A feisty Irishman who has spent his adult life shuffling be-tween London and Dublin, he has a reverence for Bob Dylan but sounds more like Roger McGuinn on the jangling 12-string Rickenbacker pop of the album's opening track, Crashpad Number. The intricate vocal harmonies on You Saved My Life (Again Last Night) indicate the influence of another 1960's hero, Brian Wilson and the new single, Mrs Lullaby, is old-school pop of a high order.