CD review: Rascal Flatts, “Unstoppable”
Country
Rascal Flatts “Unstoppable” (Lyric Street Records)
Popular country-pop trio Rascal Flatts again cooks up a slick, good-natured mix of uplifting anthems, down-home party songs and especially tearjerking power ballads for its seventh studio album.
Despite the band’s considerable talents, “Unstoppable” doesn’t quite satisfy. The album stretches past familiarity into formulaic, with not just themes but actual songs that seem recycled from earlier Rascal Flatts albums.
Heartbroken ballads about true love lost remain the trio’s bread and butter, and many bands thrive on such a limited diet. But the lyrics of “Close” sound like leftovers from previous hit “What Hurts the Most,” and it’s too easy to substitute the chorus for new song “Once” with the one from “These Days.”
Too many of the songs just blend together, and the album doesn’t serve up a true standout ingredient like “Bless the Broken Road” or “Skin (Sarabeth).”
Gary LeVox still belts out soaring odes to shattered relationships with the best of them, Jay DeMarcus continues to excel on both bass and piano, and Joe Don Rooney, who hails from Picher, rocks on with all the guitar solos.
The album does have some pleasing highlights, starting strong with the tuneful cautionary tale “Love Who You Love.” “She’d Be California” includes some fun lyrics about a woman with “palm tree tall” legs and “movie star” tan. Solid songwriting also elevates “Things That Matter,” with its effective “don’t sweat the small stuff” message.
The band branches out thematically with “Why,” about suicide. But the song follows the same sonic recipe as ballads like the hit first single “Here Comes Goodbye.”
Rascal Flatts, which recently won its seventh straight Academy of Country Music Award for top vocal group, probably won’t win over any new followers with “Unstoppable.” But diehard fans of the band’s contemporary country offerings with likely lap it up.
- BAM
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Have you listened to Gary’s voice on the song “WHY?” I’ve NEVER heard him sound this awesome! I love the flatts!!!!