The song is dripping in detail from the get-go, overflowing with references and idioms that keep the listener engaged. “Smooth Sailing” is another example of fantastic lyrics that far exceed anything else being released in country music today. Old Dominion isn’t here to release another country record with the typical template of beer, trucks, and girls-they put their own spin on things, and they do so in a sleek and effortless manner. He effortlessly throws in a small yet surprising twist at the end of the second verse: “Well, I’m sick of all the noise / So kill the lights and pay the boys / Fire the band and take the poison off the shelf / C’est la vie, farewell.” Quick turnarounds like this are the perfect details to give the group an air of individuality. The standout song is one of the album’s few examples of McAnally’s older style of writing. The rhythm is calming, smooth, and cyclical-as it revolves, it goes back to the same few lines over and over throughout without ever sounding too repetitive. Slow and steady, “My Heart Is a Bar” signals the band’s desire to change its ways, as Ramsey uses the metaphor of a worn-down bar to describe his history with relationships. This time around, Old Dominion prioritizes unprecedented themes of romance and introspection. Songs about casual relationships, parties, and late nights were abound, and they pulled it off in a way that was somehow more charming than annoying. Happy Endings, along with the group’s debut album Meat and Candy, both reflected a wilder, more mischievous stage of the group’s identity. It is the first indicator on the record of the band’s “settling down,” so to speak. Songs like “One Man Band,” a single off the record, are deeply personal and give a different spin on lead vocalist Matthew Ramsey’s vocal abilities.
The new record doesn’t have the funny, quirky elements that defined Old Dominion’s first two, but it tells its own story. It’s easy to miss the witty turnarounds found in Old Dominion’s older hits like “Written in the Sand” and “Hotel Key,” but the group’s recently-released album presents a new type of writing, one with intense detail. Songwriting powerhouse Shane McAnally is usually behind these amazingly detailed lyrics, and while he’s back at it on the group’s self-titled third album, the clever one-liners fans came to know and love are nowhere to be found. On the band’s second album, quick, witty lines fly through songs at the blink of an eye-and if you don’t listen closely, you’ll probably miss them all. This isn’t the case for Old Dominion, whose second album, Happy Endings, was a true embodiment of its unique and often comical sound. For plenty of artists, the third time’s the charm.
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