Pools of Mercury

Writing is obviously Jim Carroll's first passion and music follows as his second, and as a poet, musician, and cultural figure, writing remains his cathartic way. It's strange, but intricately moving. His numerous books (Living at the Movies [1973], The Basketball Diaries [1978], Forced Entries: The Downtown Diaries, 1971-1973 [1987], Fear of Dreaming [1993], and Void of Course [1998]) showcase his mystery through vivid wordplay, but his musicianship is equally intriguing. Carroll returns to the song board to release Pools of Mercury, marking his first original recording with the Jim Carroll Band since 1983. His latest work makes a stunning effort uniting lyrics and prose, and his passion is real. His words are droning, but an energetic slang is evident. His wit is appealing, but don't call him bubbly. Carroll is frank, peeling conflict to the core. There is no fluff, no cushion, for he fully exposes the mystifying inquisitions and the harsh issues of where the world stands in his eyes.

Pools of Mercury defines Carroll's raw personal caliber once more throughout his expressive integrity to hit his own personal relevance. His words create a desire — a desire to find a solution, to think about controversy, and to take on the questionable visions chucked out by society's negative realms. He dips into the creases of desperation and frustration, molding a marriage of poetic words with musical traits. "Train Surfing" and "Things That Fly" from Fear of Dreaming naturally rise above string accompaniment. "Falling Down Laughing" swirls with lingering guitar loops and twitching bass and Carroll's nasal New York drawl is the attraction, and the one-time proclaimed "Dylan of the '80s" has magically done it again. Carroll's perseverance as a writer, poet, and musician exudes an honest proletarian approach among social conformists and followers. He continues to trudge on Pools of Mercury, his effort to cleanse himself once more through his words.