Old Dominion released their EP Shut Me Up yesterday, and it’s hard not to wonder how carefully calculated the supergroup’s release is. The five-member group includes Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, and Brad Tursi, who between them have written for Kenny Chesney, Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, and Dierks Bentley, and whose singles include The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two” and Craig Morgan’s “Wake Up Loving You.” The group, rounded out by Geoff Sprung and Whit Sellers, seems to have hit-making down, which is why Shut Me Up is interesting not just as a musical body of work, but also perhaps as the group’s take on the country music landscape and where their style and abilities fit.
The EP as a whole seems to nest well within the “bro-country” mould, hitting radio-friendly topics like “strawberry stuff on your lips you know I like so much” or “a beer can in a truck bed.” But between the images that have become staples of country music, there are some really great moments that showcase talent beyond trend. Title track “Shut Me Up,” for instance, details a romantic interest that the protagonist’s stuck on, with lyrics like “I’m either talking about you or thinking about you running my mouth about being without you to all my friends” that succinctly capture that feeling. “Break Up With Him” is a solid mid-tempo appeal to a girl to leave the man she’s not right for anyway – “I know you ain’t in love with him, break up with him” – while “Nowhere Fast” and “Wrong Turns” round the EP out, showcasing the group’s the slower side.