“Together You and I recounts characters trying desperately to turn chance meetings and petty hook-ups into something longer and more meaningful. “Do you want to get out of here?” he asks an unidentified woman on a song with the same title. “I don’t need to finish my beer.” No one ever finishes their beer on Together You and I, and it’s to his considerable credit that Carroll makes clear that many of these denizens come to regret leaving that glass half emptied.” Pitchfork
“Barton Carroll crafts hardscrabble folk music populated with emotionally haunted souls. In a plaintive voice recalling Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Freedy Johnston, Carroll sings about world-worn characters struggling to survive but not surrendering…Carroll’s sharp-eyed, unflinching story-songs serve to separate him from the troubadour pack.” American Songwriter
“Together You and I is definitely a continuation of Carroll’s tour through the wry shadow world of his mind, but also finds him indulging in idiosyncrasies that push and pull against the melodies of his songs… moments like these evoke his fondness for songwriters like Cole Porter as much as the playful use of horns and woodwinds throughout…Just as a listener starts feeling the buoyancy of a smooth melody, there’s often something to nudge the song a little out of its comfort zone.”Popmatters
“Carroll, a North Carolina native who now calls Seattle home, has a stout pen and a nimble ear, and nowhere is this more prominent than Together You and I. The overshadowing presence of a brother on his younger sibling in “Shadowman” is painful, but the details are akin to fine fiction – descriptive, emotive, and heartbreaking. This and other poignant story-songs are mainstays of Carroll’s, although the musical accompaniment that colors these 10 tracks signals a new – and welcome – direction.”An Honest Tune
“It sports his usual mix of rural grounding and big city appeal, pressing listeners to slow down, sit back and enjoy, while still keeping its edge. Don’t let the inclusion of live favorite “Something Good” from “The Sound of Music” throw you; this is a contemplative person’s LP.” MetroMix New York
“Maybe its the way the female’s voice captures the sweet spot of harmony. Or maybe its the lyrics insistence on sticking with it, even though we’re all doomed in the end. Or maybe it is just a great song no matter how you lay it.No matter the reason, “Let’s Get On With the Illusion” is destined to remain on repeat in my iPod and Barton Carroll is a name I’m going to keep an eye out for.” Blog Critics
“Carroll somehow shares dark sentiments without sinking the listener’s spirits. Perhaps it’s the combination of his down-to-earth vocals with lovely music, or simply the bright spots in the darkness. “Down with love songs and down with hope. Down with poets and singers, I swear. When I get to the end of my rope, who will I find there?” he sings. The rope may end, but Carroll still has hope that someone will be waiting.” Birmingham Magazine
