Adam Carroll "Lookin' Out the Screen Door" by Scott Snidow

Anyone who has read about, or heard about Adam Carroll in the past couple of years have also heard the myriad of reviewers draw comparisons between Adam and the likes of Bob Dylan, John Prine, Steve Goodman, Townes Van Zandt, and Terry Allen just to name a few. Well, it is hard to not make these comparisons. The wit, the talent, the story telling capabilities of the writers listed above certainly exists in Adam's songs. But, Adam has his own, very unique, perspective that he brings to his work. And this is certainly evident in "Lookin' Out the Screen Door." At the outset of preparing for this review, I told myself that I needed to avoid making the same comparisons that I have heard other writers make, and, although I may have blown that in the opening paragraph my goal remains that from here on in, there will be no such comparisons. You will not hear descriptive phrases like "Dylanesque" or "Prinelike" in the body of this review. I promise that I will not say that his voice has the quality of a Goodman, or the intensity of Townes. Nope. None of that will be in this review. I was first introduced to the music of Adam Carroll in a very fitting way. About a year and a half ago, I was sitting in a little bar in Gainesville, TX, waiting for Ray Wylie to take the stage. As with any bar, while the patrons are sifting in someone, somewhere has a CD playing over the sound system. Throughout the course of the night they played Marcia Ball's "Gatorhythms," James McMurtry's "Walk Between the Raindrops," and Adam Carroll's "South of Town." I already owned the first two, so I was quite familiar with their content. However, Adam's CD took me by storm. I found myself hanging on every word, every note. I fell susceptible to the Zen weavings of "Bubble Gum." I felt myself drifting to a place, just a little "South of Town." I was hooked! So, realize dear reader that it was with this prejudice that I listened to for the first time to "Lookin' Out the Screen Door." In Adam's sophomore offering, the wit and imagination remain in the songs. Gone, however, are any feelings of pretentiousness. Gone is the spit and polish. Gone is any desire of Adam to be anyone else besides Adam Carroll, songwriter extraordinaire. This CD is plain and simple, edgy yet boundless, rough-hewn, but with a simplicity that makes it flow. There are only two backup musicians who even make an appearance on this CD. One is Lloyd Maines, who incidentally produced this CD, supplying his talents on the mandolin, shaker, baritone and pedal steel guitars on several tracks. The other supporting cast member is Bukka Allen on accordion and the Hammond B-3 organ. However, the contributions of these two are very subtle, leaving the listener feeling as though he is hearing nothing but the songwriter in his purest essence. So, if you are seeking a folk musician performing at the height of the genre in its truest form, then you will certainly enjoy this CD. The opening two tracks of "Lookin' Out the Screen Door," offer the singer, accompanied only by the instruments he dons, namely the guitar and the harmonica. From the very first words he sings, I was immediately captivated by the traditional feel in his voice, the sound of an old Okie folk singer from the Depression Era. However, the stories he tells are much more modern. "Screen Door" is the timeless story of unrequited love, with a telling sense of humor to it all. "Race Car Joe" relays the tale of an oil field worker by day that lives to race cars at a local dirt track on the weekends. Both songs are stark in their simplicity. I first heard Adam perform "Sno-Cone Man," the next track on this album, at a little bar in Denison, TX. The lyrics of this song are filled with innuendo and humorous word play. I laughed my ass off that first time I heard it. The album version features some nice slide resonator guitar playing that really adds a dimension to the song. In "Amanda's Song" Bukka Allen provides a great accordion accompaniment to Adam's ode to the girl that we all have known, the one we will always remember. "Legs" presents the listener with a view of the lighter side of a photo shoot. "Errol's Song" was written for a family friend of Adam's. This guy actually has a sign hanging in his kitchen that reads something like, "Quand vous manquez de Schlitz, vous avez manqué de bière." It also features Lloyd Maines backing Adam's excellent guitar picking style with the mandolin. Both of these songs are fine examples of Adam's ability as a storyteller, taking everyday characters and events and weaving fantastic tales from them. "Blondie and Dagwood" is a tribute to those denizens that grace our lives daily in the newspaper, in "black and white on workdays." When I first saw Adam perform this song, he said that it was a tribute to what is his favorite comic strip. One line in this song certainly rings true, "Hey Blondie, you're looking pretty good for a girl who's 82." She still does, and I guess she always will. Adam once again showcases his ability to really pick the guitar on "Old Milwaukee's Best," the story of a man who has lost everything but the beer. Each track on this album is memorable in it own right, and I don't want to bore you by dissecting each and every one of them. What I originally set out to do was highlight some of the best tracks on this CD, and before I knew it, I was actually listing each track. That is the effect that this album had on me. It is nothing but a series of highlights. Just suffice it to say, I really have enjoyed this CD, and with each play I enjoy it even more. Now I am not going to pretend that everyone who hears Adam Carroll or "Lookin' Out the Screen Door" is going to enjoy it as much as I have. In fact, and in all fairness, I honestly don't believe that the music of Adam Carroll is for everyone. But, if you really enjoy good, honest folk music as performed by a craftsman who hearkens back to the day when folk singers roamed the depression stricken heartland of America carrying guitars on their backs emblazoned with a sign reading "This machine kills fascists," then "Lookin' Out the Screen Door" may just be the CD for you. You can visit Adam at his website at www.adamcarroll.com. You can contact Scott Snidow at: scott-at-rockzilla.net

	Rockzillaworld Visitors

We'd be much obliged if you'd sign Rockzilla's Guestbook!			Read Rockzilla's Guestbook!

Home / Music Links / Concert Calendar / Search / Feedback / Artist Submission Info / Links

The opinions expressed by Rockzillaworld columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rockzillaworld or Rockzilla. All content ©2000 Rockzillaworld. All rights reserved.No part of this site may be reproduced or copied without the permission of the site owner. This includes html code. No animals were harmed during the creation of Rockzillaworld.