Released to radio on the day Rascal Flatts announced their new record label affiliation with Big Machine Records (leaving Lyric Street/Disney Music Group), “Why Wait” is perhaps the best-sounding single the group has released in many years.  It has a 1980’s country feel to the melody and Gary LeVox sounds absolutely refreshed on the vocal. 

The melody may have that ‘retro’ feel but it never drowns out Rascal Flatts nor does Gary LeVox sing like he’s straining to reach the notes.  He’s reels in his voice throughout much of the song and as always this allows for him to sound the way he should sound.  The harmonies of the group recall their first few albums more than the last few albums and the lyrics – about wanting to get married sooner rather than later – may be ‘cheesy’ to some but it fits right where we’d expect a Rascal Flatts song to go.

Production from Dann Huff doesn’t  take over the group and the presense of the fiddle and steel guitar in the mix is a delightful reminder that Rascal Flatts, for all of their pop-leaning glory, are still a country music band, albeit a modern one.  The group got much of their success as a result of records like “Why Wait” and there’s no doubting they’re starting their Big Machine Records tenure off with a bang as “Why Wait” is everything most of their previous album Unstoppable  wasn’t.  

While I’m sure critics or the bands detractors will still find a way to loathe this tune, If the rest of their upcoming album Nothing Like This is, well, more like this single and less like their last few albums, then I am sure to like the album, like I do this single.

You can support Rascal Flatts by purchasing this single at Amazon | iTunes.