We're just two weeks away from the release of J.R. Carroll's long anticipated debut record, and he's still got his foot on the gas. Having began releasing music over four and a half years ago, Carroll has gained a strong following on the heels of his clever lyricism and robust vocal prowess, and perhaps most importantly, his innate ability to mold the two into songs that evoke real emotions from his listeners. While he's released a handful of singles and a couple of EPs over the years, and has maintained a busy touring schedule the whole time, the debut album has long been something fans have yearned for. And now that we have the first singles, it's almost here. Following the honky-tonking lead single "Hometown Hero" earlier this month, Carroll stripped things back a bit for "Shame," an even slower and harder-hitting track in which he addresses the difficult reality of strained relationships within his family. If you are one of the J.R. Carroll faithful out there, you likely heard this one for the first time about a year ago through his YouTube video with Southbound Sessions in which he divulges that the song was originally written about the relationship between his dad and his dad's brother, but also seems to mimic the difficult relationship between Carroll and his own brother. Check out J.R. Carroll's latest single "Shame" below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abCYm0t-YYE Man, this album can't get here fast enough. J.R. Carroll is one of the best in the business, and I can't wait until he has a full project out there that will prove it. Go ahead and check out his lead single "Hometown Hero" as well in case you missed it earlier this month. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSHLI2CeJF0 Titled Dark Clouds, Carroll's album is slated for release on December 6, so make sure you've marked your calendar. A relatively quick album roll out considering the project wasn't announced until October 16th, Carroll provided some interesting insight as to how the album's title came to be in his album announcement. "Very very excited to announce my debut full length album, 'Dark Cloud,' is all yours on December 6th. I'm proud to have spent my most formative years in Oklahoma, and specifically Oologah, Oklahoma. That place, and the people in that place molded me into the man that I am today. Oologah means Dark Cloud in Cherokee, and to honor my home and all the people who invested time and love and positive energy into me, I thought it was a fitting name for my first album. I've spent the last 4 years writing these songs, and the last 2 years trying to find the time to record and finish it for y'all. It's been a long, fulfilling, and oftentimes defeating process, but it's finally done and I couldn't be more proud. I'll be forever grateful to my band, and of course Brett at Teegarden Studios, for trusting me to not screw this up, and for being incredible humans, as well as musicians and friends. I could not have made this without you, and it's as much our record as it is mine. I love you all. This album was a joy to make, and I hope y'all enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it with my friends..." https://www.instagram.com/p/DBMvZusPAbf/ And now, we wait...