HARDY has always seemed to revel in defying conventions. Though country music is his bread and butter, influences from other genres have always found their way into HARDY’s music, whether via more obvious nods like his 2023 rock album the mockingbird & THE CROW or in subtler ways. This four-pack of songs from HARDY seeks to bring together the four cornerstones of his sound: soulful pop, grungy alt-rock, traditional gospel, and, of course, country. Opener “By God” revels in goodness and gratitude, as HARDY puts on his best preacherly charm while warm Hammond organ and an ace backing choir arranged by Jason Eskridge up the Sunday vibes. “Hell” brings Blake Shelton on board, as the pair turns in a sludgy Southern rocker about loving the simple life. “King of the Hill” taps into the stoner alt of the early aughts, with its heavy riffs and bro-centric lyrics about falling asleep drunk watching the titular TV show. Finally, the rootsy, John Denver-esque feel of closing track “Tommy Made the News” makes its tragic message all the more jarring, as the song follows a fictional school shooter from his seemingly normal morning to his violent end: “Thirteen candlelight lives on the sidewalk/That Tommy took with him ’fore he took his own.”