As
The Lost One opens,
Barton Carroll reveals himself as a man with one thing on his mind: women. The "lost one" of the title, one might guess, is a man without a woman, a lost soul persistently looking for his better half, a soulmate, or someone, in "Burning Red and Blue," who will "make me a man." The first cut, the intriguingly titled "Pretty Girl's Going to Ruin My Life (Again)," is comic in its intelligence: the narrator knows what's going to happen, but shows no willingness to avoid the inevitable. The song also has an easy flowing groove, and the lovely bridge keeps the series of short verses from growing monotonous.
Carroll's vocal style reminds one vaguely of
Jimmie Dale Gilmore, though he sings at a lower register; and like
Gilmore, his voice works exceptionally well with a lyrical song like the opener. There are other enjoyable moments on
The Lost One like "Superman," but even by the third cut, problems emerge. "Burning Red and Blue" has an evocative story line, focusing on an illicit sexual relationship, and the instrumental arrangement is intriguing, but
Carroll extends the ballad paced song for five-and-half minutes. Still, the full band arrangements of songs like "Certain Circles," along with
Carroll's vocals and odd, lonely lyrics, make
The Lost One an enjoyable recording. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.