You won't find many photos of Marc Carroll smiling. He's a serious man who, in front of the camera, adopts a blank expression or else just looks faintly pissed off with the way of the world.
His songs have a similar grumpy, downbeat quality. They are mostly missives direct from desolation row or broody laments on things that can not never-no more be- nothing like they were. Only the catchy single (It Was) Love Not Lust takes a more philosophical, devil may care, attitude.
Carroll was born in Dublin but his Celtic roots only show where the fiddle is a prominent instrument on tracks like Nobody, No' Nothing and Sat Neath Her Winter. Any Irish accent is well hidden beneath a Dylan-esque growl.
He's been living in America for around six years now but this, his fourth studio album, is the first one made entirely Stateside. It was produced in Los Angeles by Chris Testa and he is assisted by musicians from Midlake and My Morning Jacket.
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On A Fool Disguised In Beggar's Clothes, the singer presents himself as a full grown man travelling,and struggling, to keep his fire alive. There are some nice jangly rhythms on The Silence I Command and even an orchestral arrangement on If Only To Remind Her while You Can Never Go Home sounds uncannily like Wilco's Via Chicago.
Carroll says "There is no particular style to the record. I only care about the songs and they will dictate how they should sound".
The record as a whole therefore takes you through the lost highways and by-ways of Americana and makes for a pleasant excursion even though you're never quite sure what the final destination is.
Marc Carroll's website
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