Rascal Flatts - Still Feels Good Review

Rascal Flatts Still Feels Good

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Tracklist:
01. Take Me There
02. Here
03. Bob That Head
04. Help Me Remember
05. Still Feels Good
06. Winner At A Losing Game
07. No Reins
08. Every Day
09. Secret Smile
10. Better Now
11. She Goes All The Way
12. How Strong Are You Now
13. It's Not Supposed To Go Like That

Release Date: 2007

user rating

2.8
good

Chart.

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On 1 Lists

2.5
average

Jom STAFF (70 Reviews)

2007-09-25 | 20 comments | 4,981 views

Summary: If it 'Still Feels Good,' why mess with success? Feel-good pop-country marketed towards as wide an audience as possible, with the pop numbers trumping the country numbers.

You don't have to be an avid CMT viewer to know that Nashville trio Rascal Flatts have been taking a lot of flak lately. The biggest point of contention they've faced is pretty much the biggest point of contention any artist or group faces throughout his, her, or their careers: genre classification and all the fanatic pigeonholing that ensues. A lot of county purists have been trashing the band for not being "real" country, especially with 2006's Me & My Gang. Not to stereotype, but purely on a tongue-in-cheek basis, the best way I can describe this criticism to a majority of the Sputnikmusic populace - metalheads, especially those who have accidentally clicked on this review for whatever reason - is in the form of an analogy:

country : real :: metal : tr00

Rascal Flatts, then, are polarizing figures to purists, casual country fans, and non-country listeners. The reason for this is attributed to the band's gradual deviation from the staple characteristics that are typically associated with the genre. To explain, the market for country has evolved, expanding to reach a more widespread audience. Accordingly, this mainstream sound equates to a hybrid of country and pop. Together with Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts appear to represent this mixture. The three aforementioned artists' rampant successes in the mainstream seem to legitimize this assertion.

In moving from Me & My Gang to Still Feels Good, there are no distinct, blatantly obvious differences in the group's sound. This "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" approach, combined with the subtle turns towards a more pop sound, amounts to three elements that essentially comprise Still Feels Good. First, the vocal harmonies and guitar melodies that help define the group's trademark sound are omnipresent. Second, Still Feels Good builds upon the foundation Me & My Gang established, in an effort to appeal to an even wider audience than the millions-plus strong army of adoring fans the group has accumulated. Lastly, this more-of-the-same, not-expanding-horizons approach can make for a homogeneous, trying listen.

Lead single Take Me There exemplifies the first two points clearly. Supported by a solid instrumental section comprised of catchy guitars and vibrant percussion, the track's lyrics have a familiar, friendly vibe. The theme of the track is finding out more about a person by asking her (as is the case with the track) to take a trip down memory lane, as portrayed in lines such as, "What made you who you are? Tell me what your story is" and the chorus' "I want to know everything about you and I want to go down every road you've been, where your hopes and dreams and wishes live, where you keep the rest of your life hid - I want to know the girl behind that pretty stare" showcasing both the theme and the group's charismatic appeal. Here also illustrates why Rascal Flatts' have found great success in the mainstream. Again, the harmonized vocals in the chorus demonstrate the group's knack for melody, but also its efforts to reach a wide audience: "I wouldn't change a thing; I'd walk right back through the rain, back to every broken heart on the day that it was breaking, and I'd relive all the years and be thankful for the tears I cried, with every stumble-step that led to you and got me here." The soft, soothing orchestral accompaniment in the introduction serves as a very nice build-up to the louder, more rocking chorus.

One of the admirable traits Still Feels Good possesses is how its title serves as a harbinger of its contents. Rascal Flatts' music has notoriously carried a feel-good, upbeat vibe throughout their discography, and their ballads have had a reputation to tug at heartstrings and send hordes of screaming teenage girls into a crying frenzy. As such, the group still feels comfortable in embracing their country-pop sound and delivering it to the masses. However, one glaring weakness on Still Feels Good is the dragging ballad: the slower, softer song that plods along haphazardly without direction. Help Me Remember is one such example: while being lyrically strong despite its simplistic, storytelling demeanor, the vocals in the upper register are hit-or-miss, and the strings and guitars are sadly lethargic. Even She Goes All the Way - which features Jamie Foxx of all people - is drab, uninteresting fodder. Tragically, nearly all the ballads are this bland.

The nice-guys-down-the-street attitude that Rascal Flatts emanate is noteworthy, even amidst the incendiary purists lashing out with their poser labels. Their friendly demeanor percolates throughout Still Feels Good, and this upbeat, cozy vibe can be appreciated by many listeners. There truly is no stark evolution between this album and Me & My Gang; in fact, it may even be a stretch to find any development.

But, if playing this country-pop style Still Feels Good, why mess with success?

Still Feels Good does a fine job of expanding its horizons to a wider audience, even if the expansion is subtle or even inaudible. Tracks that tilt towards the pop end of the spectrum are the strongest tracks on the album - tracks like Take Me There, Here, and the title track - but the ballads lack that same magic, at least in terms of the instrumentation and vocals. The trademark Rascal Flatts song is alive and well in the album, but is epitomized best in the poppier songs, where the harmonized vocals and instrumentation are thoroughly excellent and admittedly catchy. In all, the Nashville trio will yet again find astronomical success with Still Feels Good, and even though it would have been appreciated to experiment a little more with the pop-country sound, Still Feels Good is an accomplished listen that will undoubtedly be spinning in millions of CD players in America... just beware of those screaming, adoring hordes of girls - they can be vicious, even while crying.

C

Jom recommends:

Here
Take Me There
Still Feels Good

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