Ever since their 2014 debut,
Dan + Shay leaned toward the pop side of country-pop, favoring a soft touch over a hard twang, but it's hard to discern even a trace of country on
Good Things. Perhaps there are lingering connections to the sweeter country-pop of Y2K -- "Irresponsible" brings to mind the gentler moments of
Rascal Flatts -- but they're buried underneath a glossy sheen constructed from elements of modern soft rock, R&B, and pop. Everything on
Good Things shimmers delicately, every song coated in sugar and candy so thick, it's hard to hear the distinctions within arrangements and harmonies. That's a feature, not a bug.
Dan + Shay strive to make nothing more than warm, welcoming mood music, embracing the fashions of the time because that's what will keep them in the charts. Where they were once positioned as a retort to the beery bonhomie of bro-country, they're now pan-genre omnivores, making sweet sounds that should sound sweet on a variety of different playlists; there's a reason why they duet with
Justin Bieber on "10,000 Hours" -- to expand their audience. If they don't show a lot of personality, that's part of the point: they've styled themselves to be so inoffensive, they keep their quirks hidden. The result is quintessential adult contemporary pop, as pleasing as it is light, as memorable and fleeting as a summer breeze. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
