1300 Calories Later, Jason Michael Carroll's Numbers

Jason Michael Carrol
image from  Cracker Barrel's website

Did you know that Cracker Barrel actually has its own record label? The other day I had to google "Cracker Barrel locations" in order to purchase Jason Michael Carroll's new album, Numbers. I met my friend Rachel and her sweet little girl for lunch and as we walked in I shook my head and said to Rachel "the things I'll do for country music...."  After partaking of a biscuit, chicken & dumplin's, green beans, fried okra, sweet tea (all adding up to over 1300 calories, oh no!) and good conversation, I bought the CD, loaded it into the player in the trunk of my car and headed home, speakers blasting.

Country Kibitzer wondering why she's eating at Cracker Barrel when she's on a diet.

This was just the beginning.

 Jason Michael Carrol lives in the Raleigh area, so I've seen him perform three times in the last nine months and have heard at least half of the songs on the album during those performances. I expected to like this album. What was unexpected was my becoming so completely immersed in the album that I missed two separate exits onto highways that could take me home. If you happened to see a chubby but cute blond mama in an old Mercury, singing and dancing in her seat while circling the RDU Airport on August 2nd, after lunch, that was me.

The album opens with a "This is for the Lonely", an uptempo song, with terrific lyrics, that showcases Carroll's beautiful voice. When Carroll hits those low notes, it goes straight to my toes. Of all the songs on the album, they definitely chose the right one to start with. I'd like to hear "This is for the Lonely" on the radio.

JMC performing "This is for the Lonely" at UNC-Pembroke.

As videos recorded from the audience go, this one has decent sound.

Numbers, the first single off the album, has grown on me over the last few months. QDR, our local country station, has played it with such frequency that my original wall of resistance crumbled. That was the song I was belting at the top of my lungs as I missed the exits to the highway.  Still, the subject matter is perplexing, but who cares? It's a pretty song.

A fan made video for "Numbers" with photos of JMC in concert. 

"Numbers" is followed by a spiritual but sad "Ray of Hope", a song about loneliness and prayer. It is a quiet and lovely song that many people will be able to relate to.

"Meet Me in the Barn" is the party song on the album and I'm thrilled to finally have a recorded version to dance around the kitchen to. I've heard him perform "Meet Me in the Barn" three times with his band, so was taken by surprise when toward the end of the song a female voice enters the mix. The addition of the female voice is great but it's unclear who the woman singing is. Does anyone know? This song was supposed to be the first single from the album, but due to another song about a barn being released by Trace Atkins at the same time, they decided to release the song "Numbers". I do hope "Meet Me in the Barn" makes it to radio because it makes me smile.

Another good recording from the UNC-Pembroke show by the same fan.

"Meet Me in the Barn" performed without the female vocalist mentioned above.

Another entertaining song is the quirky "Can I Get an Amen", an odd and unexpected political song. It sports lines like "I believe in equal pay, if the job's the same why pay somebody less. It don't make sense. And I believe in women's rights, but I ain't gonna lie, I do like a short, tight dress." and "I believe in loud guitars, smoky bars and muscle cars, pick-up trucks and gun control, as long as they leave mine alone." The originality of having a gospel choir accompany him on this type of song is disarming and caused me giggle until I teared up with happiness. Finally, a song about being a moderate redneck. Beautiful!

The remaining six songs are all about relationships.  They range in quality from OK to good. He performed "Let Me" and "Last Words" at Rapids Jam and I enjoyed them live. The weakest one is "My Favorite" which is just too schmaltzy. "Stray" is interesting but it's about knowing that your partner is destined to cheat. Oy. What a bummer of a topic. According to the dates on YouTube videos, "Stray" (click for info) is a song Carroll has been performing for some time.  Apparently he wanted to put it on his first album but the record label refused.  If he's been performing "Stray" for this long it was probably a great decision to finally record it.

"Stray"

He closes the album with his hit from a few years ago, "Alyssa Lies". I have seen grown men cry during this song at his show. It's a good one.

If you like Jason Michael Carroll's voice I suggest going to Cracker Barrel and buying the CD, but learn from my mistakes. Don't overeat! Tonight I had carrots, celery, and pickels for dinner.

  

Jason Michael Carroll: Impressions from a Small Local Show.

Friday night, March 18th, Jason Michael Carroll, our local country music star, appeared at Crossroads Entertainment Complex in Wake Forest, NC.  Mary Selvidge and Will Guyton, two emerging local singers, opened for him.

There was not a huge crowd on Friday to see JMC, but the ladies were enthusiastic. Jason Michael Carroll is the handsome hometown hero with bambi eyes, a big white smile, and a deep manly voice that can send shivers right down to the knees, so who can blame them (us)? The enamored women, ranging in age from 12 to 120 and of all shapes and sizes, crowded around the stage, passed him notes, money with requests on it, and had him sign autographs. In return they received friendly and occasionally intense eye contact, handshakes and the occasional hug or kiss. He is a very energetic performer and as much as I'm sure the admiring eyes of all those women must feed his ego, he gives back to his audience.

The two hour performance was wonderful. He sang his hits, some new material, and a few covers. Any criticism that comes later in the article should be read in the context that I really like Jason Michael Carroll. When he sang "Where I'm From" and "Alyssa Lies" it drew a tear. When he sang "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead" we all laughed, shouted out the lyrics and jumped up and down with him (this is silly but rather fun). He did a memorable cover of Garth Brooks "Much to Young to Feel this Damn Old". He is talented and I'm looking forward to seeing him again at Rapids Jam (Roanoke Rapids, NC) in June.

Video for "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead"
 He said (maybe as a joke) when he started the show that he'd take requests on $20 bills. I didn't see any $20s go up there, but I sent up a request on a $5 for "Meet Me in the Barn" a perhaps cliche but rather sexy song he had intended to release as his first single from the new album. According to a blog post by Billy Dukes, a DJ at 94.7 WQDR, Carroll saw that Trace Atkins was releasing a barn related song at the same time, "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow", and didn't want to compete with the blond powerhouse for the attentions of country radio. As anyone who is paying attention knows, "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow" is a huge flop, Trace Atkins actually apologized to fans for it and lamely blames the songwriters for telling him it is a surefire hit. I can't predict whether "Meet Me in the Barn" would have been a hit, but it would not have been an embarrassing flop. My friend and I saw him perform "Meet Me" at the Country for Kids concert in November and enjoyed it. When he played it again on Friday, we remembered the words from November. It's a very catchy song. I hope it's at least on the new album.

Carroll singing "Meet Me in the Barn". All videos I found were fan recorded from shows. This one captures his energy and had the best sound of those available.

Carroll sang his newly released single "Numbers" and there were already people singing along. I know many JMC fans will strongly disagree, but I don't like the song "Numbers". It is pleasant to the ear, but don't find anything to connect to among all of those numbers in the lyrics. Is it a love song? He gives a girl a ring. Is it a Christian song? It has references to the Book of John and the Second Coming. Is it about Kabbalah? (Just kidding.) I do hope that Jason Michael Carroll becomes famous enough sometime soon to be Elmo's guest on Sesame Street. The chorus of this song is only a few word changes away from being a perfect children's song. This may seem like a mean thing to write, but you never know. Maybe Carroll will make a wildly successful children's album all inspired by what seemed at the time to be a snarky comment by a nobody blogger.

"Numbers"

In addition to songs we already know, he sang a couple songs that are in the works for the new album.  I thought the one called "My Favorite" was too sappy, but the song he sang before "My Favorite" was interesting. He didn't give us the name of this song. He said that he is debating whether or not to include this title unknown song on the new album. I gave a resounding hoot when he asked the crowd to weigh in. I liked this song because it is a little more sophisticated than the other three songs I've heard from the upcoming album. The only thing, apart from the words George St. and New York, that I remember about this title unknown song is that I want to hear it again.