Old Dominion have established themselves as one of the most popular bands in Country music and certainly a favourite on the live circuit here in the UK. Following the release of their debut album ‘Meat and Candy’ in 2015, the band has been steadily building their fanbase and adding plenty of awards to their collection in the process. With three albums under their belt, the last one being 2019’s ‘Old Dominion’, the five-piece – Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers, Geoff Sprung and Brad Tursi – is back with fourth studio album ‘Time, Tequila & Therapy’.
Led by the Top 10 Country hit ‘I Was On a Boat That Day’, ‘Time, Tequila & Therapy’ is a collection of laidback tracks that lean into the chilled vibe that Old Dominion has become known for. The album opens with the piano-led ‘Why Are You Still Here’, which recalls Harry Connick Jr to begin with before a beat kicks in and Old Dominion’s modern Country sound surfaces. The mid-tempo vibe of that song runs throughout the album and there’s not a whole lot in terms of change of pace.
‘Hawaii’ is a wistful sun-drenched meditation on happier times, ‘Walk on Whiskey’ has a soulful John Mayer-esque groove with lyrics that look back on a relationship gone south, and ‘Blue Jeans’ is a more optimistic celebration of falling in love. The album’s most unexpected moment comes on the 90s soul of ‘Lonely Side of Town’ featuring the legendary Gladys Knight. It’s a collaboration I never knew I needed but it’s one of the highlights on the record.
In the second half of the album Old Dominion use alcohol to get over someone on the uptempo ‘Drinking My Feelings’ and notice that an ex hasn’t changed as much as she thinks she has on ‘Something’s The Same About You’. The album comes to a close with the jaunty blues-inspired ‘Ain’t Nothing Wrong With Love’ as the band concludes that falling in (and out of) love is tale as old as time and something we all go through.
‘Time, Tequila & Therapy’ is a solid collection from Old Dominion and it’s sure to help them continue building their ever-growing fanbase. I have a feeling these songs will properly connect once fans get to see them live but I do wish the band would have pushed out of their comfort zone and given us something a little bit different. There’s nothing wrong with the music here, it’s just nothing that we’ve not heard before.
Track listing: 1. Why Are You Still Here 2. Hawaii 3. Walk on Whiskey 4. All I Know About Girls 5. Blue Jeans 6. No Hard Feelings 7. Lonely Side of Town (feat. Gladys Knight) 8. I Was On a Boat That Day 9. Drinking My Feelings 10. Something’s The Same About You 11. I Want To Live in a House With You Forever 12. Don’t Forget Me 13. Ain’t Nothing Wrong With Love Record label: Sony Music Release date: 8th October 2021 Buy ‘Time, Tequila & Therapy’ now
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