HARDY's "mockingbird & THE CROW" + 10 More Singles - Best/Worst New Country

Today's video is a roundup of all the newest country music! There are so many new singles (and so so many albums), and I know I haven't hit em all! Oh well! Also don't take these reviews too seriously! They ain't!
00:00 - Intro/Taylor Swift/Zach Bryan
01:00 - Shania Twain - Waking Up Dreaming
01:41 - Morgan Evans - Over For You
03:29 - Justin Moore & Priscilla Block - You, Me, and Whiskey
04:28 - Chase Rice - Way Down Yonder
06:19 - Scotty McCreery - Small Town Story
07:30 - Gabe Lee - Rusty
08:47 - Kat Hasty - Burn it Down
09:50 - Giovannie and the Hired Guns - Overrated
11:25 - Muscadine Bloodline - Cryin' in a GMC
12:23 - William Beckmann - Damn This Heart of Mine
13:19 - Emily Ann Roberts - Whole Lotta Little
15:04 - HARDY - "the mockingbird and THE CROW"
Find Grady:
Website: gradywsmith.com
Patreon: / gradywsmith
Subreddit: / countrymusicstuff
TikTok: / gradywsmith
Instagram: / gradywsmith
Facebook: / gradysmithwriter
Spotify: open.spotify.com/playlist/5SB...

[@jacobschreiber1499]

Billie eilish's happier than ever could be compared to mockingbird and the crow. Just an example lol.

[@GradySmith]

THAT IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF

[@ryofdoom7416]

Dear Today by Luke Combs as a solid switch up

[@lucasasbury1594]

@@GradySmith Narcolepsy - Third Eye Blind (3 switch-up's)

[@jacobseidel4296]

@@GradySmith Meatloaf - Paradise by the dashboard light! I'll love you till the end of time to I'm praying for the end of time.

[@blakecote5867]

I'm pretty blown away by HARDY'S new releases. They are wholly new and exciting, these rock.. almost metal influences are what I needed

[@MegaRobo25]

"Hardy is what bro country could have been" is a quote of yours that I use all the time, Grady you pulled me back into country music and keep up the good work. Love you brother.

[@alimccowen4090]

Love Mockingbird and the Crow, but for me Jack has to be the best Hardy release. Unbelievable amount of depth for a 3 minute song. At first it sounds like a fun drinking party song but after listening more and hearing the journey from trying it to pick up girls etc to literally rock bottom is so interesting. And how Jack always twists it so he’s the ‘good guy’. I think anyone with any vice can relate. So cool

[@mcr2124]

Grady, I don’t know if these videos are as successful as you want them to be, but I promise they make the biggest impact! I just added 4 songs to my playlist, and I do this every month when you release your reviews! Thank you!! Please keep doing these!

[@lafemmenikita123]

Me too, this is how I find new country music not played on radio

[@dcinsc7]

@@lafemmenikita123 If it weren’t for Grady, I would never had found Charlie Crockett to listen to.

[@beckyhathaway3979]

me too. i found Hardy a while back when Grady first did a mention. Now i buy everything Hardy makes. THANK YOU GRADY (and Hardy, of course;)

[@BryanWolfe21]

Hardy is slowly becoming one of my favorite artists

[@nicksmith4808]

I think hardy is the connection of my tastes of music. He can have a pop country song and I can enjoy it, he can write a serious country song and I like it, he can write a southern rock song and I like it, he can write a rock or alternative song and I like it. Him by himself is all the different types of music I enjoy and he has shown, and will probably do more, that he can do all of those in a single album. He's very similar to Upchurch in that no matter what the song sounds like it's a great song, regardless of the track behind it

[@clarkfaus]

the mockingbird & THE CROW has to be my top song of the year I love it!

[@LLeesClassicAVP]

Mockingbird & The Crow is one of the best damn rock songs I've heard in many, many years!!! I can't stop listening to that song! So freaking good!!!

[@Vano-ey3pb]

So stoked to see you finally mention Gio and the boys! Seen them live about 5 or 6 times now and they’re just amazing live. They definitely are on the level that Koe was on his early rise as far as their live performances! I would say check out some of their older songs as well, their country influence is a lot more prevalent. Another Time is one of my favorite songs of theirs. Great video Grady!!!!

[@blakebrown848]

Waylon was told don't let the industry label you... I think hardy is living that. Some of his songs are just a cash grab but he's got a lot of great tunes that could be played in many different genre's. Mocking bird... is a gem

[@RealNathanExplosion]

Gotta make those radio hits to keep money coming in so you can take the other risks to do what you really want to do

[@jackaydelotte7457]

There’s no way you just compared hardy to WAYLON…. Holy shit. We are completely fucked. Country music is fucked. Hardy sucks

[@justanotherguy1110]

@@jackaydelotte7457 He was making a point you pinecone. And the point stands. Get your panties out of your ass.

[@blanketflunky9823]

@@jackaydelotte7457 so there’s not allowed to be a similarity between two artists just because one’s legendary?

[@JD200_]

Absolutely love these videos. My playlists always increases after watching

[@fernmills753]

GRADY. I love your videos so much because there is no one in my life as invested in the "country" music scene that I can talk to about it who would actually care to hear about my reviews or insight on new music. You are that person for me as I laugh at my screen. THANK YOU for appreciating the mockingbird and the crow. It was my basil ice cream too. Even when I don't really like his songs (like truck bed sounding like Thomas Rhett), I like them still because they're so different, authentic and fitting to him (insert boots reference and guitar switch up @ the end that made me not hate the song). Never stop posting content!!

[@brettdabear]

When I first heard HARDY play jack it was live and I immediately thought it was a darker version of Jon Pardi's Me and Jack. Same type of story telling just from the point of view of Jack. Love HARDY's song writing and super amped for this new album in Jan. Love ya Grady!

[@terikeller2113]

I've been waiting for this video today. the mockingbird and THE CROW is my current favorite song. I love it

[@hockeycoco66]

Very excited about the Hardy release. It reminds me a lot of ZBB's Jekyll & Hyde album or Eric Church's Heart & Soul project with the two toned album covers. One song on Jekyll & Hyde, Junkyard, has the same type of vibe where there is that "switch up" and becomes a true rock song. Really love these types of albums because it shows off the incredible talent of these musicians switching from genre to genre. One of my favorite songs that also does the "switch up" is "Band on the Run" by Wings which arguably is 3-4 different sounding songs put together. Thank you again for another great video Grady! Added a bunch of new music to my library.

[@thisisholti]

Thanks for your videos! I love them, because here in Germany it is one of the few ways to stay up to date from Nashville. Unfortunately there is no country radio here in Germany. I'm looking forward to Brett Young, Kane Brown and Luke Combs coming over here soon! Until then, I just keep watching your stories about country music! Keep-haw 😊

[@bubbaholmberg7057]

So glad you put Damn This Heart of Mine on this list. One of my october favs.

[@dianeb.8242]

Thanks for posting another one of these videos! I always enjoy your nuanced and kind insight into country music - being able to talk about the industry without trashing certain types of music is a virtue. Have you ever heard of Molly Tuttle, by the way? I heard her new album Crooked Tree and I think it's something you would love. She's a singer and musician who plays a lot of bluegrass/americana, and there's a lot of mandolin and banjo in her songs.

[@samlawrie965]

Great video!!! Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into making videos for our enjoyment.

[@judeelaman1902]

I felt like mockingbird and the crow is kind of like a more in depth version of sold out. I can't wait to see how the album turns out.

[@CMC2468]

You are literally my favorite channel on KZbin😊👍🏻

[@Plantation1984]

Love your videos, Grady. Keep grindin, bro!

[@panfriedbeets]

I love these types of videos Grady, you're a king

[@wesleywilliams5932]

Really love your videos! You help me find a lot of country that I wouldn’t ever know about and I love that you’re so down to earth and open about things. I’m glad someone looks at music the way you do. Keep making content! Love hearing your opinion.

[@robbieblankinship3893]

Love the video man! I'm a big Gabe Lee guy and actually have a different take of the new production style. I hear what your saying that it sounds less clean, but I feel like it was a move that captured this hopeful nostalgic feeling. For me, Rusty gave me a similar feeling to what arises in me when I hear a Bruce Springsteen song. The loose sounding acoustic guitar with those vintage drum tones with Gabe's voice.... sheeshhhhh it gets me! This song feels like I popped in a the new Gabe Lee tape in tape player in my car and am going on a drive. Makes for a complex contrast with the lyrical content. Some classic Gabe Lee paradoxical moments... tiredness/hopefulness and longing/presence. Anyways! about to listen to the new record... excited to hear your thoughts!

[@karalarsen2316]

These videos always make my day

[@michaelfleming3913]

I always love seeing William Beckmann get some love. Hopefully enough people will go listen to him so he can finally tour outside of Texas

[@sherrycurtin9494]

Now that was a YEEHAW of a review....loved it

[@jadoyon]

"& the Zapdos", lol you had me on the floor.

[@calebneff5777]

Saw Emily Ann on her backyard tour, and the show was amazing. So intimate, just playing in this yard overlooking a farm in rural Iowa, it was a night I’ll always remember. I had never heard of her before that, but we were invited by a friend my wife and I talk about it all the time. Defiantly a memory I’ll cherish for a long time.

[@ellen4356]

Basil ice cream made me laugh out loud 😄👌 Grady, keep being so awesome!!!

[@jquinn4302]

I'm just happy you mentioned Paul Cauthen, I need a Grady video on Paul

[@ryantoone785]

Thank you for throwing Emily Ann Roberts in here because I'm now obsessed with her lmfao. What a pure bright human being with an amazing voice, and she's killing the country sound (in the best way).

[@Ian00003]

so excited for Hardys new album, I love both styles

[@kcg285]

I would love to see you do videos about country artists' live shows. Just saw Ian Munsick this weekend and was blown away. He's so fun and unique. I'd love to know which other artists are a great time to see live.

[@usmazat]

Hi Grady, Thanks for helping me discover Emily Ann Roberts Whole Lotta Little ! Such a fun song!, makes me wanna dance immediately!

[@inherbeautyrise]

Thanks for your T Swift thoughts, Grady! I agree 💯

[@lennartmakkink7427]

Thank you so much for putting me on WIlliam Beckmann lol

[@thedarkwolf25]

Hardy is rapidly becoming my favorite artist

[@landonbaumgardner1277]

For those of you scrolling the comments needing an extra push to go listen to the Popcast Grady did about Zach Bryan, Do it! He was awesome on there and the podcast helped me find a new Zach song I liked in the endless current that is Zach Bryan releases. As for Grady, I'm sure the last thing you need is song suggestions, especially from albums released a year ago, but one song from Scotty McCreery that I keep going back to is The Waiter. I think it has story telling that's perhaps the more revealing side you're looking for from him.

[@clarkfaus]

The Waiter is prolly one of his best releases ever except for maybe The Dash I love that one too

[@Ariesguy41499]

I like Waking Up Dreaming but I agree that it doesn’t show off her voice in the best way. Imo her 2017 album Now, which I personally loved and was somewhat of a success going #1 on the country and pop charts, had alot of songs like Where Do You Think Your Going where she really shows off her new deeper voice that sounds really good. Hopefully we get more songs like that which better show off her voice. Also loved your Subject To Change reaction🙂

[@GradySmith]

Subject to Change KEEPS growing on me too

[@jenniecartier3917]

Shania new song come out tonight at midnight! Last Day of Summer

[@Cdyoung15]

I caught that Pokémon reference when describing Hardy’s upcoming album. Shoutout to the legendary Pokémon Zapdos

[@TheJohnDoe64]

Can you cover Larry Fleet in the near future?? REALLY loving his stuff lately!

[@xXemo_xX]

i'm not really an avid fan of country but i really do love watching your videos! here's a suggestion for you to look up: danny worsnop. he's the singer of a metalcore band but for his solo stuff he went full country. also he's british. hope you search that up because i think it'd be interesting to see your opinions and analysis on it.

[@countrymonkOSB]

Grady, you gotta do something on Ashley McBryde's new album "Lindeville". I find it really, really awesome and it would be great to hear your take on it

[@TheMichaelWhitney]

LOVE LOVE that Emily got on the thumbnail!! Good on you Grady.

[@meliciousgoremay]

I always loved the line in “Get Over It” by OkGo: “You got a body like a battle axe!” Just so evocative.

[@colttexan0720]

Bro your beard looks so good dawg 😂

[@obiekat53]

It was because of you that I discovered Gabe and became an ardent fan, his new album is as good as anything he had done before and I still have it on a daily rotation.

[@nicholasi3535]

After not being the biggest fan of Hardy’s first album, I have loved everything he has put out in 2022. So excited for the album! Also, kind of shocked you disliked Over For You. I get your point about the production but I don’t think it ruins the song quite as much as you do. Finally, I know you don’t love doing review videos but it’s one of the ways that I discover new songs/artists so I enjoy these videos the most

[@maradavis3824]

I have been so fired up about Hardy's new music and can't wait for him to release the full album! It really is exciting when an artist gives us music that goes beyond the normal "cookie cutter country songs"

[@collinspall2402]

I love the Mockingbird and the crow just because it’s so genius cause I’ve never heard a song where it goes from pretty country to just straight rock.

[@gunnarthejinx]

Gas Well by Charles Wesley Godwin is a big switch up. Love that song. Great video Grady!

[@CarolineJonesMusic]

Those last three finds are awesome!!!

[@aledojustajones]

😀 More great commentary about country artists

[@hulluporo9067]

Hi Grady! I´m from Germany and I´ve discovered Hardy just recently. Which is kind of odd. I never got in touch with Country music before and I´ve never met anyone who listens to Country music in my life. All of a sudden Hardy comes along and became one of my favourite new artists of the year. I think it´s because he doesn´t look like your typical Country musician. A look that´s maybe too cringy for us Europeans. This is not meant to be an offense, but I guess you´ll get my point. So I´m really looking forward to his new album and I guess I should check out your videos more often.

[@mcland05]

Please review Lindeville! That album is so fun!

[@justsean1000]

Mockingbird and the crow always reminds me of All The Same by Sick Puppies everytime I hear it, love it.

[@sassyoung6388]

AGREED on the production for Over For You. I was in the audience when he performed it for the first time at CMC Rocks, and it was heartbreaking. The Melbourne live version (the one on Spotify) punches in the same way, but the studio version pulls its punches and buries the raw emotion under some baffling production choices

[@colepinkston2347]

Whole Lotta Little reminds me of Callin’ Baton Rouge. Love it! Also William Beckmann is the best newcomer.

[@savinggraceproductions624]

I been waiting for him to mention Gio❤️❤️❤️

[@beplanking]

Oh crazy, when you first said Emily Ann Roberts I thought it was an accident and you'd meant to say Emily Scott Robinson. But now I remember, she was on the voice back during the same season as my senior year homecoming date lol

[@elijahkrause3608]

Speaking of Giovanny and the Hired Guns, radio is pushing Son of a Sinner by Jelly Roll, who is even more genre bending than most Texas Country artists. It's not all my cup of tea, but it's nice to see that variety is finally becoming profitable.

[@JoshiNinetySix]

Grady, You should review "The Manger" by Anne Wilson and Josh Turner, if you are doing a Christmas video, it's such a good Christmas country song.

[@smithsmith2403]

Great job as normal!!!!! Thanks! Grady give Caleb Lee Hutchinson's new EP a listen Songs I will never play again. Good Stuff!!!

[@gracecarpenter6001]

I just recently got back into Scotty McCreery and one of my favorite songs is "The Waiter" has more of a unique story compared to his other songs :)

[@LTProductions335]

I would like to hear you cover "how you make a man" by Craig morgon. Love the videos grady.

[@OlYables]

10:54 good call on Okay Go's Get Over It: great rock song. Those guys have some gems: usually the music takes second seat to the insanely creative videos.

[@majrgaming2633]

Grady you need to check out Warren Zeiders and his 717 Tapes Album, it’s so good, he’s got millions of listeners but I hadn’t heard of him till he appeared randomly on my Spotify, he has a great voice

[@angelicab121]

In the final bit when you describe eating basil icecream…😅. Relatable… and i don’t even hear country music that much but regarding finding 💎 muiscal Gems: i searched for tsunami bomb, a punk band i used to listen yo years ago to see where they are now and since inrealized i dont know what any of the members look like, just out of curiosity and stumbled across the lead singers other musical projects one called Survival Guide and was like whoa why isn’t this more “popular”?… “music industry” should be called the trending factory… most popular music needs to be easy simple catchy in a almost brainwashing kind of way cuz 💰 and it’s so refreshing when you can tell something has been “handcrafted” vs something thats been pushed for mass production. Also the way we listen to music now, def affects are ability to appreciate. I sound old but its the truth 😂😂😂 example if you purchased an album you would at least try to give that not so great song another try or maybe at least hear the whole thing ( do you know how many songs captured by heart at THE BRIDGE). I recently saw an instagrammer saying The bridge in songs have been pretty much murdered in a video-killed-the radio-star sort of way. Do you think this is true? Or is it more in pop music?

[@evam5250]

Have you ever reviewed Alex Key's albums? His latest one (Neon Signs and Stained Glass) is pretty damn fantastic and I'd love to hear you talk about it!

[@justincobb9622]

Have you heard of Jake Worthington? He was a Voice contestant a few years ago and has put out solid country music since then. He recently sang on the Hixtape Vol 2, and Ronnie Dunn’s new album

[@faytheklopfenstine8871]

Hey Grady, I had a question for you. How do you use samples of songs or music videos in your videos? I've been wanting to start a review channel and I wanted to know the way to do it right by KZbin's standards. Hopefully that's ok to ask. Thanks

[@danag3757]

Agree with you about Midnights, unfortunately 😭😭😭 It's grown on me a bit but not the direction I was hoping she'd go after Folklore & Evermore.

[@jackwatson8323]

I love folklore and evermore, but I do think most of her listeners are tired of her folk indie sound. However, I don’t consider Midnights as a worse version of reputation, I think Midnights is more like a mashup of her past works, production of reputation, lyrics of folklore and evermore and synth from 1989 & Lover. If you really look into her lyrics into the album, especially 3am Edition, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”, “Dear Reader”, I think you will like it.

[@jackwatson8323]

But in my opinion, evermore is still her best record.

[@aaahhhhhhh]

hey, you should look at Zach Top. He is a pretty small artist but has that classic country sound. Kind of like a Mark Chestnut sound. His best songs are “there’s the sun”, Cold Beer and Country Music”, and “I Don’t Mind”.

[@jrfree88]

Hardy might be one of my favorite country artists rn

[@daniellerollyson2506]

You should do a video of josiah and the bonnievielles, he has released some really good music lately and deserves the recognition and support ❤

[@shawshepherd6730]

Please do Lainey Wilson’s album as your next video! It’s too good

[@ryanhutton7370]

Cannot agree more with the Morgan Evans song. I was at a show where it was his 2nd or 3rd time performing it live. He was opening for Brad Paisley here in Melbourne, Australia (we don't get a lot of artists coming over). He played it just he and a piano and it was fantastic. It broke my heart when I heard the production on the release. Sucked most of the life from it.

[@Lexon412]

Grady! What did you think Maddie and Tae’s new album? I really enjoyed the whole album

[@jayoldtowngolf3066]

I think half my playlist has become Hardy over the past several years, dude is Uber talented.

[@ronaldreagan2035]

Grady thank you!!!!

[@dakgildea]

Muscadine has been my favorite to listen to as of the past month. Love Cryin in a GMC

[@gagedevall7645]

will you please review Mr Sun by Little Big Town?

[@bigearl1624]

Hey this is the guy who did the snap and clap track thing

[@cald1225]

What was your opinion on Maddie and Tae’s latest album, Through the Madness Vol. 2

[@joshuaford6700]

Me and hardy are from. The same town philadelphia mississippi and when I listened to mockingbird and the crow and I heard him referencing our home town I almost lost it definitely my fav song this year.

[@lyndi8548]

While I’m going to pretend like you didn’t say what you said about midnights 😼 the mockingbird and the crow is genius and I audibly gasped the first time I heard it. Dang it I just love music so much.

[@j0annamerica]

Your points are valid but I am just not feeling the mockingbird and THE CROW song specifically. I am still excited to hear what the whole album will sound like

[@tysoneverett9252]

Hoping to see a starve by ZLB review too

[@huntercloud192]

I loved how the crow part low key sounds like a crow

[@alexcora13]

Another big switch up in a song- Gas Well by CWG. There are a couple switches in that one. You're welcome, lol 😁

[@themichigoon9547]

good kid, m.A.A.d city is another switch up song ;)

[@CarMan711]

Thank you for talking about whole lotta little!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@gavinbenz9034]

Gotta love that Grady’s a rocker even if he doesn’t wanna admit it 😂

[@kylelee8015]

I hadn't seen his Instagram posts about Hardy, but I was fully prepared for him to just hate/trash him. I was hugely surprised and relieved, because Hardy has been one of my favorite artists since he came out-aside from Rednecker Than You. That couple of years of people trying to 'out country' the next guy got old really friggen quick

[@TheSammyBMusic]

Giovannie’s song Can’t Answer Why was a game changer for me this year

[@averagehummer1213]

Have you reviewed The Man from Waco by Charley Crockett yet? It's really good

[@ravenayers5563]

Hardy has been played daily in my house. My 2 yr makes me play the “truck song” (wait in the truck) on repeat 😅

[@BarbaraJGeiger]

I am with your kiddo!

[@chloegracemusic]

Your kid has amazing taste!

[@TERRY38221]

As someone who does a terrestrial radio show, that is simulcast on the internet, it is frustrating that a lot of great songs can’t be played because of the language. Believe me I would love to play the new Hardy song and Lindeville, but can’t. I can get by with a few words, but never s*** ot f***., the FCC still regulates FM radio. What are your thoughts?