Rascal Flatts, 'Unstoppable'

The buzz: Since forming a decade ago, Rascal Flatts has become one of the top selling acts in country music history—much to the chagrin of traditionalists, who despise the band’s blatant pop stylings. The trio’s last three studio albums—2004’s “Feels Like Today,” 2006’s “Me and My Gang” and 2007’s “Still Feels Good”—have each topped both Billboard’s country and top 200 album charts. In the digital era, Rascal Flatts has done the unimaginable: sold nearly 19 million albums.

The verdict: Rascal Flatts abandons practically all country trappings on its pompously titled new album “Unstoppable.” Lead singer Gary LeVox has an undeniably powerful voice that again benefits from the sweet harmonies of Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney, but rather than turn in a pleasurable collection of pop tunes, the band drops an overload of sappy power ballads drenched in soaring strings and brain-dead guitar solos hijacked from bad hair metal recordings. Almost every song is about a busted relationship, making the super-serious tone of the album grating, especially considering the somber banality of the lyrics. The only time the boys attempt a little fun is on the laughable light-rocker “Summer Nights,” which sounds like every other mainstream country summer anthem of recent memory.

Did you know? Joe Don Rooney is married to 2005 Playmate of the Year Tiffany Fallon and took nude photos of her for Playboy Cyber Club’s celebrity photographer section.

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