Marc Carroll had been recording music for more than 20 years before releasing In Silence, as immediately evidenced by his seasoned-sounding performance on the opening instrumental folk tune “The Boy Who Dreamed.” But it’s the second song, “Love over Gold,” where Carroll’s remarkable vocal presence reveals a weathered rasp on par with late-'70s Bob Dylan. The uplifting melodies soaring from “What’s Left of My Heart” provide a beautiful contrast to Carroll’s crooned confessions. The rootsy “No Time at All” recalls Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, with a hardscrabble wisdom sung intimately over simple chord structures. Carroll harks back to his Irish origins on a cover of the traditional folk chantey “Matty Groves,” as well as with his own “Against My Will,” where tinges of Celtic folk emanate from the rich wooden tones of vintage acoustic instruments. The closing instrumental, “In Reverse,” makes good on its name by backmasking like a Stone Roses b-side.