CD: "Me and My Gang" by Rascal Flatts; Lyric Street Records

Release: April 4

Style: Country

My take: Over four albums, starting with their 1999 eponymous debut, the members of Rascal Flatts have nearly become the poster boys for modern country music. The trio is just one of many current acts, including Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban and Brad Paisley, making the genre more widely accepted.

"Me and My Gang" takes the assimilation of country into the mainstream a step further. Rascal Flatts has always treaded the line between pop and country; this time around they set up camp. The result is an album that is country enough for traditional fans without alienating pop audiences.

As obviously confident the trio is, they never take themselves too seriously. This is evident in tracks like "Backwards," which takes off on the old joke of playing a country song in reverse to win back your wife, best friend, truck and dog. Less humorous but still loose is "Cool Thing," a tale of unexpected summer love that has "teenager" smeared all over it. There's also the title track, which has a talk box introduction a la Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer." The light reggae tones of "Yes I Do" are a nice touch, though the song overall is average.

Of course, Rascal Flatts' bread and butter is in the ballads, not the light stuff. Luckily there's no shortage of heavier material here. "I Feel Bad" is a slightly awkward song about feeling guilty about not feeling guilty about your relationship ending. Lead single "What Hurts the Most" is burning up the charts right now and is much like lots of Flatts' old material.

The most interesting song, "Ellsworth," is about a woman who is losing a battle to Alzheimer's but still remembers being young and in love. Despite its sappy story that seems straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel, the lyrics' imagery puts you right into the woman's mind. You can almost imagine yourself in 1940s Kansas.

"Me and My Gang" shows Rascal Flatts' talent and intelligence. The material always perfectly fits their style and is solidly written; the members' chemistry is always on point; the production just sleek enough to enhance the strengths without overly masking the weaknesses. If there's any doubt about the band's performance outside the studio, check out the live version of "Fast Cars and Freedom" at the end of this CD.

What's most interesting about this album is how consistent Rascal Flatts is. They don't reinvent themselves every couple of years, because it's unnecessary. Fans expect solid pop-laced, rock-tinged country music from Rascal Flatts and that's exactly what they get. And because the members of the band are fairly young, it's possible you'll be hearing this gang for many years to come.

Jeremy Castillo recently received his associate of arts degree from Windward Community College.