‘A Rock’ is more than just the title of Hardy’s official debut album. It’s also the style of music he tends to blend with a typical redneck country sound. At times it was difficult to remember I was listening to a country album. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, as this album doesn’t try too hard to be one thing or another. It perfectly blends two genres that are both authentically in Hardy’s wheelhouse.
This album has several highlights. ‘Boyfriend’ pivots in a clever way, telling the story of what one might perceive as a breakup, but is actually about a man who is ready to take that next step in his relationship. ‘Ain’t A Bad Day’ goes pretty dark, where the guy basically he says he’d be perfectly fine welcoming an apocalypse because the woman he loves broke his heart. Current Top 20 hit ‘One Beer’, a collaboration with Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson, embraces life’s unexpected turn of events instead of viewing it as a mistake. The only thing that is lacking with this song is that Dawson is barely noticeable, and Alaina basically just sings harmonies. It makes you wonder their purpose on the song.
The only glaring mistake this album makes is with ‘Hate Your Hometown’. It can be sweet if your girl goes on a vacation and you miss her. This song is just a petty way of saying he hopes she miserable, so she has a desire to come back to him. This is as bro-country as you can get, where the woman in the song only serves as a support for him. I would pay to hear Maddie & Tae’s reaction to this song. There are other songs in this collection, such as ‘Truck’ or ‘Apologetically Country As Hell’, that are just plain forgettable. Those can be forgiven though, where ‘Hate Your Hometown’ has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Overall, I can understand why Hardy up to this point has been a revered songwriter in Nashville. This album has the ability to let him enter the spotlight as an artist that has longevity in this business. He has fresh sounds that I think will be welcomed on country radio. He has songs that will be crowd pleasers in concert. I look forward to seeing how he grows as an artist in the future. To listen to ‘A Rock’, click here.
