Jelly Roll Ballads of the Broken LP (Red Vinyl)

Jelly Roll, the giant underground genre-bending singer/songwriter/rapper, delivers his 2021 album Ballads of the Broken. The introspective 10-track record delves deeper into his current season of life and his growth — personally and sonically, marking the first time he does not rap except for a lone verse across the album.

Having written each song on the album, Jelly Roll finds "a more centered emotional space," and "takes those raw, unreserved verses and melds elements of country, rock, and hip-hop into his own signature style" (Billboard).

Being vulnerable and emotional might not be what you expect from a burly former inmate with face tattoos and piercings, but Ballads of the Broken is deeply rooted in self-reflection and pain. Drawing from his own experiences and struggles — with relationships, substances, mental health and life in general — the project tells the story of a man who has been through the ringer, has gotten his feet back under him but knows he has a long way to go.