Sonically, The Happiness Waltz takes a trip back into Rouse's early-2000's period, a time when so many of his longtime fans really came on board. A number of the new tracks could easily find a home on the AM radio of the late 1970's, nestled between some of the biggest songs of the day. Lyrically, The Happiness Waltz is very much an album in the present, featuring some of Rouse's most personal songs to date.