Jelly Roll has been going about his business, mainly under the radar until recently when he has very much become the forefront of popular country music. As genres are blended into the sound created by Jelly Roll, be prepared for combinations of Rap, Country, Soul and Classic Rock as this unique sound tells his stories.
Having been catapulted to everyone’s radio with ‘Sun Of A Sinner’ which topped the Rock chart whilst also having a Top 30 song on Country radio, Jelly Roll is ready to unleash the follow-up to the 2021 debut album Ballads of the Broken with this 13 track release.
This 44 minutes album shows Jelly Roll joining forces with some of the biggest names in the game – Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, Yelawolf and HARDY to both write and perform this special collection of tracks.
Kicking off with ‘Halfway to Hell’ you are immediately drawn into the world of Jelly Roll, the gravelly vocal over smooth instrumentals is something that people familiar with Ballads of the Broken. You will be captivated by the story storytelling and this special artist straight away and this will last throughout the entire album.
By the time you reach the tracks that have already been released such as ‘Unlive’ with Yelawolf and have that Rap influence in full affect, however that sound that gripped you in the first place doesn’t go anywhere and it works perfectly. This is the perfect Country Rap song and you will struggle to find anything that matches it.
This is swiftly followed up with ‘Save Me’ with Lainey Wilson and ‘She’ a heartfelt and beautiful ballad.
I am struggling to think of a better all-round album that I have heard this year. It genuinely has everything and most importantly it grips you and doesn’t let go. The lyrics and storytelling that this album has is top drawer and really sets Jelly Roll aside. Using the experiences of growing up in Nashville’s Antioch neighbourhood and his life heading to drug addiction and drug dealing would certainly give you the backdrop for some stories and what we should be celebrating here is that Jelly Roll has used those experiences and turned them into a positive.
Using music as an outlet but also as a way for others to start to understand what Jelly Roll has been through has allowed us to experience this amazing album.
Whitsitt Chapel will be released Friday, June 2nd via BMG/Stoney Creek Records.
Ed Ford
Tracklist
- Halfway To Hell
- Church
- The Lost
- Behind Bars (with Brantley Gilbert and Struggle Jennings)
- Nail Me
- Hold On Me
- Kill A Man
- Unlive (with Yelawolf)
- Save Me (with Lainey Wilson)
- She
- Need A Favor
- Dancing With The Devil
- Hungover In A Church Pew
Online
https://www.facebook.com/TheRealJellyRoll
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtyzzW6rIQiGP7gfGTXkhDw