Rascal Flatts fans will be overjoyed with the band's latest release, Me and My Gang. The 13-track album is filled with the band's popular ballads, guitar licks, descriptive and heartfelt lyrics and sing-a-long melodies.
Released on April 4, and with its first single, What Hurts the Most
climbing the charts, the band's fifth CD breaks out of the stereotypical country tunes and tries some new approaches to keep fans humming.
In the infused southern jazz piano-style hit Backwards the band pokes fun to country music and boasts of getting your house, dog, best friend, truck, hair, first and second wives, porch swing, farm, boat and Harley back (among other things). The song, which starts out solely with piano and vocals, instantly becomes knee-tapping and fun-filled.
The Latin-inspired, finger-snapping hit Yes I Do tells of losing a love and hopes of a mending. The vocal harmonies are very strong and yet, throughout the song, become quieter so listeners can hear the guitar melody and drum rhythms.
Recorded mostly in the spring and summer of 2005, Me and My Gang was delayed by public demand for a fourth single from their previous album Feels Like Today
according to the band's Web site, www.rascalflatts.com.
Although many of the songs rely on Nashville writers, the group (Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus) co-wrote three of the CD's tracks. Rooney helped write Cool Thing
an energy-filled song that mentions Ohio State University, DeMarcus helped write To Make Her Love Me
a softer and smoother love tune reminiscent of It's Not Just Me from their first self-titled album, and all three band members contributed to Pieces
a guitar-driven melody. In addition to helping co-write, Rooney also plays every guitar part on the record.
Other songs that deserve a listen include Stand
about pushing through the pain; the ballad I Feel Bad
about becoming numb to heartache; and My Wish
about staying positive despite troubles.
It is easy to see, with the success of all five albums, why Rascal Flatts was the most played artist on country radio in 2005, spending ten weeks at No. 1 on the radio singles charts, according to www.rascalflatts.com. The band continues to write lyrics that listeners will keep in their CD player or on their iPod play list for hours.
Me and My Gang definitely has the same down-to-earth country style that fans love about Rascal Flatts. Whether it's heartache or love you are feeling, Me and My Gang has a song for every emotion and is definitely another hit album from Rascal Flatts.
