Marc Carroll

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

Ten Of Swords

The Independent (UK) Saturday Edition

With influences ranging from country to The Kinks, this is a solid debut from a fine Dublin based songwriter, Most of all, it recalls great powerpop balladeers like Matthew Sweet, with an added touch of psychedelic wooziness and, on one track, echoes of Hank Williams. Lyrical nous and a handful of up-tempo, toe-tappers round it off well.

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

Ten Of Swords

The Independent (UK)

Marc Carroll : Ten Of Swords (Evangeline)
The sleeve design - a parody of a 10 Disc Dylan bootleg of the same title, serves due notice of the young Irish songwriter Marc Carroll's ambition, but is an unreliable guide to his style. For while the opening `Crashpad Number` Deftly apes the harmonies and jangly Rickenbacker arpeggios of The Byrds, There are actually few songs on this compact 11 track album that merit the description `Dylanesque`. In fact Carroll's have a much broader sweep, which places him closer to the likes of Brian Wilson and Todd Rundgren. Like them, he has the vision to perceive the larger musical picture, and like Rundgren at least, the ability to realise that picture virtually without outside assistance, through laborious overdubbing of all the instruments on all but a few of these tracks, with his vocal harmonies likewise layered in grand cascades atop the arrangements. He can turn his hands to several different modes from The Wilco - style `You Saved My Life (Again Last Night)` to the English psychedelic throwback of `Mrs Lullaby` and the trancey, trip hop feedback drones of `In Silence`.

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

Ten Of Swords

The Independent (Ireland)

Marc Carroll - Ten Of Swords (Evangeline) ****

Dubliner Marc Carroll brings persistence to new levels. His dealings with the record industry are fast becoming the stuff of legend. He's found an English Indie label to take on Ten Of Swords and thank goodness for that. From The Byrds inspired opener Crashpad Number through to a traditional rendition of the dark folk classic Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down, Carroll delivers a wide range of musical goods with palpable passion. There's a new wave feel and urgent buzzy guitars on songs like Idiot World (which once featured as the backing track on the BBC's `Football Focus`), and Weird Dreams. Swangsong and You Saved My Life (Again Last Night) are simple 60's sounding hum alongs.

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

Ten Of Swords

Irish Times

Dubliner Marc Carroll has been around the blocks more times than Sonia O`Sullivan and it's one of life's many mysteries and crying shames that he hasn't to date graduated above cult status. While his fans and quiet champions will no doubt offer this excellent record as further proof of Carroll's focused genius, the realists among us will probably still be playing the There's no justice for some time to come. Power pop punk songs as sublime as `Crashpad Number` , `Mrs Lullaby`, `Idiot World`, `Falling Into Nowhere` and `You Saved My Life (Again Last Night)` add fuel to the argument that Carroll is up there with the great songwriters - structurally he just doesn't put a foot wrong. The inclusion however of the trad/arr `Row The Boat Ashore` is a serious error - excuse this one and you've got yourself a near classic.

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

Ten Of Swords

Careless Talk Costs Lives

One of my criteria for judging the greatness of pop it its ability to accompany bicycle rides. This passed with bugs in its teeth. There are a whole host of memorable tunes : Opening single `Crashpad Number` with it's ringing McGuinn-esque guitars and nod to `Manic Monday`; `Mrs Lullaby` who `Does tricks for a pound`, and which ushers in ghostly memories of The Jam at their pop best; `Idiot World` coming on like Velvet Crush with a lost classic from the mighty `In The Pressence Of Greatness`. It's not all rocking out though, songs like the gorgeous `Silent And Blind`, the country picking of `Falling Into Nowhere` and `Terror And Tired Eyes` are restrained moments of beauty, with melodies you want to hum all day long. With `Ten Of Swords` Carroll has made a marvellous fusion of folk, country, rock and pop, and it deserves to be huge.

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

Ten Of Swords

Bucketfull Of Brains

Marc Carroll - Ten Of Swords (Evangeline).
Housed in a mock Trade Mark Of Quality boot package, Marc's first solo outing is further confirmation of the talent that drove the wonderful Hormones a few years back. The album is a mix of classic pop gems and more introspective material. It's mostly a happy merger but i have got to declare a preference for the hook filled uptempo numbers such as the instantly gratifying opening track `Crashpad Number` with its ringing 12 strings and velvety background vocals. Some of the slower tracks demand a bit more patience as they sometimes go into semi-trance mode, but as on `Terror And Tired Eyes` or `In Silence` the payback is most certainly there. Somewhere in between sits `Swansong`, which again showcases Marc's astute tunefulness and distinctive harmony work. The pop-folk of `Silent And Blind` is simply lovely and the traditional `Satan,Your Kingdom Must Come Down` is an inspired choice. This album deserves that you give it the attention it deserves and listening to it all the way through is a rewarding expereince indeed.
Reviewed By Robin Wills.