Unstoppable [PA]

Performer: Rascal Flatts
Engineer: Justin Niebank; Steve Churchyard; Ben Fowler
Producer: Dann Huff; Dann Huff; Rascal Flatts
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Composer: Jonathan Yudkin. Personnel: Dann Huff (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, mandolin); Joe Don Rooney, Ilya Toshinsky, Tom Bukovac (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Adam Shoenfeld (electric guitar); Dan Dugmore, Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Charles Judge (lap steel guitar, cello, strings, piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, loops); Jonathan Yudkin (violin, fiddle, viola, cello, strings); Alyssa Park, John Wittenberg, Connie Ellisor, Joel Derouin, Natalie Leggett, Sara Parkins, Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin, Alan Umstead, Josephina Vergara, Michele Richards, Charlie Bisharat, Mario Diaz de Leon (violin); Jim Grosjean, Roland Kato, Kris Wilkinson, Alma Fernandez, Darrin McCann (viola); Suzie Katayama, Larry Corbett, Steve Richards , Carole Rabinowitz-Neuen (cello); Nashville String Machine (strings); Gordon Mote (piano); Tim Akers (keyboards); Chris McHugh (drums); Eric Darken (percussion). Audio Mixer: Justin Niebank. Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Pogo Studio, Chapaign, IL; River City Studios, Grand Rapids, MI; Smart Studios, Madison, WI. If there's a candidate for the Eagles of the 21st century, it's surely Rascal Flatts, with their seamless blend of country, rock, and pop, and their discography of multi-platinum albums hitting the top of both the country and pop charts. Their sixth album, UNSTOPPABLE, makes the aforementioned blend so smooth that only the most stubborn pigeonholer would still label them a country act. If not for the recurring pedal-steel swells and the occasional vocal twang, there'd be nothing keeping UNSTOPPABLE from being a straight-up mainstream pop album. The preponderance of big, bold power ballads should appeal to fans of, say, Bryan Adams or Sheryl Crow just as easily as country cultists. In that sense, Rascal Flatts have clearly become the ultimate musical centrists of their era. On their sixth album, Unstoppable, Rascal Flatts trade their "aw shucks" persona for a title that Michael Jackson somehow missed in his King of Pop phase, and act like superstars rather than boys next door made good. Almost nothing about Unstoppable is modest, not the sounds, not the sentiments -- only the songs, whether they're sports-bar party anthems like "Summer Nights"; glistening, tightly wound crossover pop like "Close" and its breezy counterpart "She'd Be California"; or arena ballads like the first single, "Here Comes Goodbye." Despite a lot of driving, sequenced rhythms, most of the record feels as if it belongs in the arena ballad category, thanks to how every track comes across as waves of gleaming sound topped by the group's harmonies. The smoothness is overwhelming and Rascal Flatts seem certain of their own invincibility. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Here comes the hubris. Rascal Flatts managed to keep it at bay through most of the 2000s, even as they turned into the biggest act in country music, but with their sixth album, Unstoppable, they succumb, trading their "aw shucks" persona for a title that Michael Jackson somehow missed in his King of Pop phase and acting like superstars, not boys next door made good. That humble streak always kept Rascal Flatts relatable, even when they went multi-platinum and drifted into colorless country-pop, and without it the group sounds a little bloated. Of course, it doesn't help that almost nothing about Unstoppable is modest, not the sounds, not the sentiments -- only the songs, which can't withstand these muscle-bound arrangements, whether they're sports-bar party anthems like "Summer Nights," glistening, tightly wound crossover pop like "Close" and its breezy counterpart "She'd Be California," or arena ballads like the first single, "Here Comes Goodbye." Despite a lot of driving, sequenced rhythms, most of the record feels as if it belongs to the latter category, thanks to how every track comes across as waves of gleaming sound, topped by the group's harmonies but with no strong supporting structure. This overwhelming smoothness would be pleasant if the album weren't so puffed up, if Rascal Flatts weren't so certain of their own invincibility that they didn't realize they didn't have either the tunes or the charm this time around...and that they didn't realize that pride comes before a fall. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Cousins Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox grew up playing together in Columbus, OH. After DeMarcus moved to Nashville, LeVox eventually followed, and with Joe Don Rooney they formed Rascal Flatts, the singing, songwriting, and instrumental abilities of all three making them a force with which to be reckoned. Their self-titled 2000 debut album was a huge success on both the country and pop charts. All three members also proved to be successful writing songs for others, including Chely Wright, Joe Diffie, and Chad Brock. Building to an even higher plateau, Rascal Flatts's second album, MELT, was an even bigger smash than its predecessor.

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