Album Review: Old Dominion – Old Dominion

When Old Dominion broke out in 2015 with their debut offering Meat And Candy, the country-rock world got a taste of what Nashville could produce if it brought more tongue-in-cheek lyrics and added a bit of colour to the music. In 2017, Happy Endings even dabbled with sonic elements borrowed from other genres. Now, their third, self-titled studio album doesn’t take as many chances as its predecessors.

Old Dominion’s material has always been critically well received, but that’s likely down to them having at least tried to stand in the doorway of other genres, all suave and sultry. This time around, the band have taken the more self-reflective route, which may be why the album is self-titled. While it’s nice Old Dominion have taken the time to really articulate how they see themselves through their music, it's not always inviting.  

Old Dominion have mastered the art of the sultry country-rock song – smooth vocals, bright percussion, and classic southern guitar twang. Here, they’ve bottled up that gentleman-like smoothness and shown their softer side in a far deeper way, but you may find yourself missing the band's rougher edges.