Josh Moorehas been pouring coffee in Carrboro and playing music for years. His smooth and soulful vocals have backed up local acts Mandolin Orange and Skylar Gudasz, but Moore is now stepping to the center stage with his long-awaited solo album, Parted Ways.
Moore is accompanied on the record by Mandolin Orange and Gudasz along with an impressive roster of musical friends from bands like Mount Moriah, The Old Ceremony and Lost in the Trees.
All these musical aficionados cement Parted Ways, but at the heart of the record is Moore’s earnest and spiritual performance. Its got the tinge of Otis Redding’s soul and gospel, with the grassroots grit of Carrboro's folk landscape.
Moore’s religious side dates back to his teenage days in Kernersville, when he flirted with the music business in his high school hardcore Christian punk band, Beloved.
While Moore says moving to Carrboro helped convert him to folk music, the evolution of his spirituality shines in songs like “May It Ever Be."
“Shelter me when my heart grows weak and I will learn to carry its burden. Ease my mind in the worst of times, may it ever be.”
Moore repeats the words “may it ever be” as the song comes to a close, each time gently bringing the listener closer and closer to his enduring and calming sentiment.
Moore will be joined by his musical friends at the Cat’s Cradle Back Room Friday, June 12 for the Parted Ways release show.