Good country music has a tight narrative structure that tells a compelling story with a satisfying conclusion. Great country music has a tight narrative structure that tells a compelling story with a satisfying conclusion, but (and this is important) at some point the song introduces a pattern interrupt along the way. This is the bucket I would certainly place Happy Endings in.
If you’re unfamiliar with the pattern interrupt concept it is simply “an unexpected act that jolts [the listener] into another state of mind.” In musical terms, this usually is presented either via a unique observation about the story currently being told or the lead vocalist flipping the script and taking the story in an entirely different direction (“the twist”). Typically the twist happens right before the hook in the first chorus– if you’re feeling bold, you introduce that concept in the second/third chorus. It’s the thing that makes you sit back and say to yourself “I see what you did there” while nodding in appreciation. A witty line that makes the song special.
Pattern interrupts are everywhere in Happy Endings. From “Hotel Key” to “A Girl Is a Gun” to “Still Writing Songs About You”, Old Dominion takes the standard tropes of country music and tweaks them ever so slightly, crafting a new world for us to explore and play in. The lyrics to “Still Writing Songs About You” contain some of my favorites ever due both the clever delivery and how they work so wonderfully well with the excellent arrangement (especially that bass hook!). It’s honestly as close to a perfect country song as you can get. It’s probably no surprise that Shane McAnally of Songland fame produced this record– I love pretty much every project he’s a part of.
Two closing thoughts– I love this album cover (the song references are just great) and lead vocalist Matthew Ramsey is one of my contemporary favorite country singers. His voice has such a great tone, rich and straightforward. Everything feels effortless in his hands. I could listen to him all day.
In fact, I just did.
Standout Songs: “Still Writing Songs About You”, “New York At Night”, “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart”
