Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir - Pictures in the Dark (2024) Hi-Res

In a time where darkness is easy to find, Richmond, Virginia’s Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir aims to put hope back into those who need it with their debut full-length album, Pictures in the Dark.

With previously released singles “Mission” and “Song of Moving On” dropping in February and January of 2024 respectively, fans caught a glimpse of the versatile Americana and roots-rock elements the band so seamlessly incorporates into their sound. Both tracks offer vivid storytelling and uplifting sentiments amidst a broken, messy world (more on these later).

Pictures in the Dark is an album that emerged from the ashes of 2020 and years that followed, and demonstrates the band’s persistence to create something meaningful through adversity. Their ability to meld various genres including folk, soul, country, rock, and more is on full display, expressing a cinematic, often anthemic sound with lyrics that resonate.

The 8-track record ironically opens with a decidedly not optimistic title, “The Ending of the End.” This track is a triumphant, orchestral opening to the album, delivering an epic sound about the final moments on earth, which wouldn’t feel out of place as a musical’s final reprise. “It’s all gallows humor, written about waiting for the end of the world,” Wiley says. “I wrote this song in the middle of 2020, and it was my way of recognizing the pickle we were in that year, and making peace with whatever was going to happen.”