Somber introspection meets upbeat folk music at Moccasin Bend Brewing Co.
John Carroll, a Nashville based musician, is performing at Chattanooga’s Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. this Friday. His most recent EP, Paper Boats, showcases his uniquely upbeat yet somber and folky habits. An acoustic guitarist with a pop, folk attitude, Carroll proves himself lyrically and musically expansive.
It’s songs like “The Curse”, off his album Songbird, that leave you feeling introspective despite the almost melancholy lyrics. Let me show you. Here’s the last verse of the song: “No empty cask of Holy wine / Nor girl that I’ve since bed / Has kept her ghost from haunting me / After evening prayers are said.”
With lyrics like these, you might notice that your foot is tapping, but your beer is getting salty. If you become lost in the rhythm and style of John Carroll, then you might never realize the greater meaning behind that catchy song.
However, Carroll doesn’t see this as a problem at all, for he says, “music is about connecting with people at whatever level they’re looking to meet you.”
Just imagine if John Mayer, Dave Matthews, and Ed Sheeran were recast with equally intricate hooks, but with sanguine ballads and a confident, regional taste. That’s John Carroll. It is the combination of all these elements which allow his “music to ride that balance of fun, catchy, and meaningful.”
John Carroll
Friday, 8 p.m.
Moccasin Bend Brewing Co.
3210 Broad St.
bendbrewingbeer.com