Art should not tell the audience to do anything but instead simply let them be; then again, can there be rules to something subjective? Either way, Timothy Carroll provides solid advice in “If I Were You.” Timothy knows that location is everything to real estate, as he suggests building a house on a lakeshore. Being open, strong, patient, an open mind will also better a person, which Timothy wisely suggests. While this guide to life is useful, it says nothing not said before. Telling someone else to take this advice is always easier than telling it to yourself, however, and I find this lyrical theme in “If I Were You” intriguing and original.
Live takes recorded into an analog tape recorder captures “If I Were You” inside a designate space large enough for sounds to resonate without ever feeling atmospheric. Thumping percussion gallops along while suspenseful acoustic guitar is pick crystal clear into the left ear. Rusty, metallic rings of guitar an the scratch of Carroll’s hand slipping up an own the fretboard are heard from the right. Carroll’s vocals are reminiscent of a country Ben Gibbard, holding all the golden melody with an added sense of earthly humility.
Introverted and colorless does the timbre of this track feel, similar to the cover image of this single. Time lapses of changing seasons run through the mind during “If I Were You.” Vague uncertainty stirs throughout this song, remenisent of the instinctual feeling that winter is soon to come. Carroll’s first LP since 2008’s For Bread and Circuses will be released exclusively on vinyl this October. Produced by Matt Redlich, the new album takes guitar influence from Neil Young yet melody influence from The Cure and The Smiths.