By Josh Crutchmer Drayton Farley’s latest record may throw some of his most strident fans for a loop. After spending the better part of five years releasing songs that mined the darkest corners of his soul and his Alabama roots, A Heavy Duty Heart brings a heavy dose of hope to Farley’s collection. That was by design. Farley lives, by and large, a happy existence these days, and it was time that his music reflected it. “They’re all the songs I didn’t have before this record,” Farley tells Rolling Stone. “In terms of, like, love songs and the lighter side of life. A lot of my catalog is slower, sadder, darker. On this album, that still is there, but I realized I need to write happier songs or ones that cover a broader topic. I’m married with two kids. I’ve got a great, happy life.” The 10-song LP dropped on Friday and marks Farley’s third studio album, and his first since 2023’s Twenty On High, which was produced by Sadler Vaden with Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit as the studio musicians.…