According to Barton Carroll, these songs were inspired by his upbringing in North Carolina's Avery County. This backstory helps explain the strong, personal writing voice showcased on his fifth release. With his distinctive vocals and melodic fingerpicking, he tells rich tales through literate lyrics and carefully crafted rhymes. Ranging from pensive to intense, the songwriting on Avery County, I'm Bound to You is consistently strong and the arrangements inventive. Banjo, fiddle, accordion, drums, organ, flute, clarinet, trombone, and electric guitar are woven into a style that blends contemporary folk-rock, Appalachian folk, and English and Irish traditions. The onetime guitarist for Crooked Fingers, Carroll has evolved into a remarkable songwriter over the past decade, and Avery County, I'm Bound to You is an enjoyable release.