Adam Carroll

Adam Carroll

Far Away Blues (Blue Corn)

Adam Carroll's facility with words peppered with dry humor suits him well. He composes neatly stitched tunes in the guitar-and-harmonica vein such that his craftsmanship is never called into question. On the 12 songs of Carroll's third studio LP, clever ditties abound ("AFL-CIO," "Picture Show," "Alright"), while the spoken intros are a comfortable touch. The material rests easy in the folk-rock vein ("Love Song for My Family," "Low in the Mountains," "Last Day of Grace") and bears the imprint of the masters of the genre: John Prine, Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan. Yet, sometimes it's not enough to wear the best influences on your sleeve. While Carroll's songs are well-written, there's a sameness here that leaves them less distinguished than they should be. His limited vocal range suits the introspective music well, but he maintains the frustrating trick of holding all tracks to the same standard so that no one tune sticks out. The third time is traditionally a charm, but Far Away Blues is missing something crucial – maybe the radio-friendly song. Carroll's promise is sincere and undeniable; here's hoping he strikes closer to the heart next time.