Music Review: T. Hardy Morris, Hardy And The Hardknocks: Drownin’ On A Mountaintop

By Melissa Bratcher

On the new album from Athens, Georgia’s T. Hardy Morris—Hardy & The Hardknocks: Drownin’ On A Mountaintop—Morris makes a music that is the logical marriage of country and grunge. Imagine Nirvana had a pedal steel guitar; imagine Mike McCready played with the Buckaroos. It works, and it works incredibly well.

Drownin’ On A Mountaintop fares best on the rockier, heavier songs, of which there are many. A fine vein of Matt Stoessel’s pedal steel runs through the album, lending richness to tracks like the highly relatable “Young Assumption.” On this ode to staying in, rather than going out, Morris sings, “Tell me how you like it /I’ll fix you up / Don’t you know that home has / cleaner cups?” with appealingly husky vocals. He’s got a bit of twang and rasp to his voice that fits the music. “My Me,” a raucous origin story or mission statement about staying true to oneself has a cowpunk ethos, without the cowpunk trappings. Cowgrunge?

“Likes Of Me” sounds like a lost Nirvana song. On the sneering, lo-fi “Painted On Attitude,” Hardy calls out one who favors style over substance. The title track, “Drownin’ On A Mountain Top” is ripping, with time changes and fiery, hard vocals. The fighty and rambunctious “Cut & Dry” is awash in fuzzed-out guitar and stutter-step drums.

The more sedate “Starting Gun” is midtempo and goes on a bit long, though the lyrical wordplay is a treat. Better is “Quieter (When I Leave Town).” The drums are crisp and the pedal steel swoons alongside bright acoustic on this cinematic gem. The story it tells is fascinating.

Hardy & The Hardknocks: Drownin’ On A Mountaintop evokes late nights, small towns, and misunderstood kids. It sounds like nothing else, but it also sounds warm and familiar, wrapped in flannel and wearing ripped jeans.

Hardy & The Hardknocks: Drownin’ On A Mountaintop was released on June 23 from Dangerbird Records.

Tour Dates:
JUNE
27 – Athens, GA – Athfest

JULY
17-18 – Birmingham, AL – Sloss Fest
23 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues w/ Drive By Truckers
24 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva w/ Drive By Truckers
27 – Columbus, OH – The Basement
28 – Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theatre
29 – Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme
31 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean w/ Delta Spirit (Lollapalooza Aftershow)

AUGUST
06 – 07 – Appleton, WI – Mile of Music Fest
09 – Atlanta, GA – Party in the Park w/Roadkill Ghost Choir