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Social Distortion's first new studio record in nearly six years, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes builds on singer Mike Ness’ twin footings, one in the haunted American landscapes of Hank Williams and the other in the raw swagger of Exile On Main Street‐era Rolling Stones. While these twin pillars have always been behind Social Distortion’s anthemic songs, on Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes they come roaring to the fore, in one of the hardest rocking, most soulful albums of Ness’ career.
From opener “California (Hustle and Flow),” a song with enough attitude to redline a ’40 Merc, to the dark rockin’ cover of Hank Williams' “Alone and Forsaken,” longtime fans will find the trademark punk roar they love. New fans, too, will be drawn to Ness’ maturing songwriting and vocals with an eye to his rock and roll legacy. Ness also produced Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (his first time at the production helm).
"Cigar-puffing hoodlums, sleazy pimps, staggering winos, down-and-out blue-collar stiffs, on-the-run hustlers, wounded romantics, and spurned lovers are among the crowds that congregate on the street corners of Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, one of the most consistent, complete, soulful, and tunefully gritty records of Social Distortion’s career. The set reflects the group’s progressive embrace of organ into arrangements. As such, subtle spiritual undercurrents coarse through several tunes."