It’s genuinely surprising how quickly a song can make you feel out of touch with contemporary music trends. In an era seemingly dominated by the likes of established figures and rising stars, there’s always room for new voices. However, Hardy’s latest single, “Truck Bed,” the second radio release from his album the mockingbird & THE CROW, unfortunately, falls short of making a positive impression. In fact, the most prominent feeling it evokes is one of utter ordinariness. “Truck Bed,” as a truck bed song, simply lacks the elements to be either captivating or particularly enjoyable.
From a production standpoint, it’s evident that the mockingbird & THE CROW leans more towards rock influences than traditional country, a fact that becomes glaringly obvious in “Truck Bed.” The song initiates with a clean electric guitar riff, seemingly innocuous enough. Yet, the track quickly veers into unsettling territory with an unconventional chord progression and the addition of an echoing whistle. While one could argue this sonic discomfort mirrors the narrator’s troubled emotional state, the result is far from a pleasant listening experience. The introduction of a synthetic beat further amplifies the track’s cold and alienating atmosphere. Even the subsequent entry of real drums does little to alleviate this issue. Then, the song takes a dramatic turn as Hardy’s vocals escalate into screams, heavy metal guitars surge into the mix, and “Truck Bed” abruptly transforms into a generic, off-brand imitation of a Godsmack track. Any semblance of atmosphere established in the initial moments is completely obliterated. The production feels haphazard, as if the sound engineers were throwing elements at the wall hoping something would stick. The outcome is a jarringly inconsistent soundscape that provides little incentive for repeated listens to this truck bed song.
Hardy’s vocal performance mirrors this awkward inconsistency, as he seems indecisive about portraying the narrator as sad, angry, confused, or understanding. Ultimately, his delivery settles into a largely neutral tone, failing to genuinely convey the speaker’s emotional turmoil. Even when he attempts to inject raw emotion by screaming the opening lines of the final two choruses, it feels manufactured and passionless, as if he’s merely mimicking the aggressive guitar riffs. He completely misses the mark in making the narrator relatable or sympathetic. Instead, he comes across as a stereotypical loser who, in his own words, “got what I deserve.” The lyrics imply he drank the relationship to its demise and is now facing the consequences, as he should. Notably absent in Hardy’s performance is any genuine remorse for his actions. He appears more irritated by a bothersome bird than by the demise of his relationship. Much like a scene devoid of clues, as far as Hardy’s performance goes, there’s simply nothing compelling to latch onto in this truck bed song.
The opening lines of “Truck Bed” are unfortunately indicative of the song’s overall lyrical shallowness:
I woke up on the wrong side of the truck bed this morning
With a bone dry bottle of Jack I was pouring
This opening immediately plunges into the well-worn beer-and-truck cliché territory that is so prevalent in contemporary country music. And the lyrical quality unfortunately doesn’t improve from there. The subsequent lines, referencing a “bag of corn as pillow and camo jacket as blanket,” feel like a forced and cliché-ridden attempt to inject “country” buzzwords without any genuine substance. The narrative is simplistic: the narrator defied their partner’s wishes by getting drunk, was subsequently locked out, and forced to sleep in their truck. That’s essentially the entire story. The song feels like a mere vehicle to showcase the “wrong side of the truck bed” hook, which is neither particularly clever nor as catchy as the songwriters seem to believe for a truck bed song. While there might be an attempt at over-the-top humor, similar to Hardy’s previous work, it falls flat. The “That f***ing bird” line might elicit a slight smirk, but that’s the extent of its comedic impact. Compounding the issues are the song’s repetitive chorus and awkward phrasing. Stretching the line “she meant bizzzz-nesss” feels unnatural and forced, disrupting the rhythm. Confusing lines like “at least I took my boots off this time” further detract from the lyrics, leaving the listener wondering about their purpose and meaning. Ultimately, the lyrics feel lazy, hastily written, and contribute to the impression that “Truck Bed” was thrown together in a very short amount of time.
“Truck Bed” unfortunately aligns with the generally underwhelming output that has become characteristic of Michael Hardy’s work. This truck bed song suffers from poorly constructed lyrics that heavily rely on clichés and a single instance of weak wordplay. The production is awkward, inconsistent, and fundamentally ill-suited to the song itself. Hardy’s performance continues to portray the same unsympathetic and uninteresting persona he often embodies. While “wait in the truck” remains a commendable collaboration, on balance, Hardy’s current musical direction seems to be doing more harm than good within the country music landscape. He needs to significantly elevate his artistic approach or perhaps make way for artists offering more substantive and innovative work. Perhaps next time he finds himself waking up “on the wrong side of the truck bed,” that truck should be parked far away from the creative hub of Nashville.
Rating: 4/10. A definite nope.
