In his debut release Love & War, CarolinaBound singer/songwriter Chris Smith brings a fresh, distinctive sound from an old country barroom in a southern ghost town. He conjures up the ghosts of Townes Van Zandt, Gram Parsons, and a number of other sweet but not forgotten spirits. The lyrics are raw, honest, and meet the rural, blue collar family for dinner. Smith is armed with an acoustic guitar and his licks are often dark, abstinent, and bring a solemn feeling of sobriety to an otherwise lively celebration. His songs evoke warmth and distance at the same time, entrapping the audience between lost love and the luxury of hell bent solitude. There is a spiritual cry throughout most of the record that leaves the listener seeking morality in a forgotten desert. A must for anyone who loves the sound of solo alt country mixed with the rigorous self-discipline of a small town reprobate.