Vinyl - J.R. Carroll - Dark Cloud

Pre-order J.R. Carroll's debut album 'Dark Cloud' on a limited edition D2C-exclusive black vinyl!

Perspective and nuance can rarely coexist in country music, which is ironic, considering that the genre is so keen on one of those things and so poised to thrive with the other. The discourse around it would have you believe it only has two modes: this or that, black or white, boot cut, or skinny jeans. It’s rare to find that connection that its advocates supposedly yearn for, yet they always have trouble pinning it down. Authenticity, the true bearing of the soul, gets lost in a lot of records from our household names.

“Three Chords and the Truth” has no doubt gotten more complicated as we’ve spent more and more time with those burgeoning stars. Algorithms and social spotlights have shown off true colors and stripped a lot of the allure and mystery that once hung in the air of the concert halls and barrooms some of our favorite selectors inhabited. Either we’ve passed the age of the outlaw, or the smoke and mirrors are becoming harder and harder to see through. Both theories seem plausible.

Then again, that lack of gatekept wunderkinds makes finding them feel like you’ve struck gold. It’s a feeling that’s come most recently in the form of JR Carroll, a guy who’s been just a few steps away from the spotlight for years. The songwriter is quickly raising eyebrows as fans and critics have begun to take notice of the talent living right under their noses, now poised to make his career his own with the release of his debut LP, Dark Cloud. Where’s he off to now that he’s got both hands on the wheel? A place that every country crooner is often pining after yet rarely finds in their career. A home.