Darius Rucker - Carolyn's Boy

Named after his mother, Carolyn’s Boy marks Darius Rucker’s first solo project in six years. With it, the 3x Grammy winner proves why he’s become such a solid staple in country music.

Rather than adapting to meet whatever the newest trend or fad is – namely 808 beats or underproduced fingerpicking – Rucker stays true to what he knows and does best: organic, easily digestible country music that isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel.

While everyone is trying to tap into the nostalgia of ‘90s to 2000s country, Rucker does it with ease by just singing what he knows. Within its 14 tracks, you’ll find breezy and boozy jammers (‘Beers And Sunshine’, ‘Same Beer Different Problem’), some thought-provoking empowerment (‘In This Together’) and slice-of-life diddies (‘Never Been Over’, ‘Sara’), as well as a couple of cleverly crafted cuts (‘3am in Carolina’, ‘Southern Comfort’).

The record does fall flat at points along the way, most notably on the counting song ‘7 Days’ and an awkward inclusion of Rihanna’s ‘Lift Me Up’ from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

At the end of the day though, Carolyn’s Boy sounds like Darius Rucker, which is quite fitting when you think about it. If only for 45 minutes, Rucker offers a break from the hustle and bustle of life, and we can’t ask for more than that.

7/10

Darius Rucker's 2023 album, Carolyn's Boy, is out now via Capitol Records Nashville / UMG.

For more Darius Rucker, see below: