Ballads of the Broken is the eighth and major-label debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Jelly Roll, released on September 17, 2021, through Bailee & Buddy and BBR Music Group. It includes the singles "Dead Man Walking", which reached number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart, and "Son of a Sinner", which reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Country Airplay chart. The success of "Son of a Sinner", one of the few Nashville country-influenced songs on the album, inspired Jelly Roll to fully take on a country sound for his following album, Whitsitt Chapel (2023).
Contents
Critical reception
A staff review on AllMusic called it "short and surprising" due to the "evolution" in Jelly Roll's sound and his taking "a different stylistic approach than his usual countrified rap on almost every track, going from country-adjacent hooks [on] 'Son of a Sinner' to eerie, remorse-filled pop tunes [on] 'Over You'." The review also highlighted Jelly Roll's "soulful vocals and the twangy backing [as] the main points of interest here", and felt that to longtime fans, the slight shift in his sound "shouldn't be too much of a jolt" after Self Medicated (2020).
Personnel
Musicians
Jelly Roll – vocals
Jayden Panesso – additional programming
Shannon Forrest – drums
Justin Abraham – drums
Cole Clark – drums
Craig Young – bass guitar
Rob McNelley – electric guitar
Gabe Baker – cello
Ilya Toshinskiy – acoustic guitar, electric slide guitar
Stu Stapleton – additional keyboards
Jack Fowler – additional guitar
David Ray Stevens – additional vocals
Michael Whitworth – additional vocals
Technical
Andrew Baylis – production (1, 2, 4–10), mixing (9, 10), engineering (all tracks)
Ernest K. – production (3, 10)
Ilya Toshinskiy – production (3), additional engineering (all tracks)
David Ray Stevens – production (9); additional production, engineering (all tracks)
Eric "Wee Wee" Flemming – additional production
Joe LaPorta – mastering (1–6, 8–10)
Still Matthews – mastering (7)
F. Reid Shippen – mixing (1, 2, 4–8)
Buckley Miller – mixing (3)
Joe Trentacosti – engineering
Lowell Reynolds – engineering
Jason Mott – engineering
Myle Manner – engineering
Aaron Chmielewski – additional engineering
Brad Winters – additional engineering
Shannon Forrest – additional engineering
Visuals
Don Henson – art direction, design, photography
Meme Shahan – art direction, design
Lou Miceli Jr. – art direction, design