****1/2 stars out of 5

For an album entitled Still Feels Good, Rascal Flatts’ fifth studio production has moments which are far from upbeat.

Despite its optimistic label, some of the music is more about love that slipped away. This theme comes through in four ballads.

In “Help Me Remember,” lead singer Gary LeVox asks his woman to help him remember what it was like before they grew apart.

“Oh, I don’t want to fight anymore/ Don’t want the last thing I hear tonight/ To be a slammin’ door,” LeVox sings. “Baby, let it be like before.”

“Winner at a Losing Game,” “How Strong are You Now” and “Better Now” are also among the album’s tough-luck love songs. In addition to these love struggles, the album also tackles the cruel twists life sometimes takes in “It’s Not Supposed to Go Like That.”

But before writing off this album as an impressive, yet depressing, piece of art, listeners find songs of hope such as “Take Me There,” the group’s single that is now in its second week atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

The song, co-written by Kenny Chesney and two other songwriters, explores the hope of falling further in love by getting to know someone better. It is one of the best songs — if not the best — Rascal Flatts has recorded.

“No Reins” is a high-energy song about a woman energized by getting out of an unhealthy relationship. Co-written by bass guitarist Jay DeMarcus, the song helps diversify the sound of an album that includes so many slower songs.

“Like a painted wild mustang/ Flyin’ out across the open range,” LeVox sings. “Finally gets to live her life that way/ No fear, no fences, nobody — no reins.”

The title track, “Still Feels Good,” and “Secret Smile” also have a little rhythm that can put a bounce in listeners’ steps as they sing along. “Bob That Head” will just get on your nerves, though.

Perhaps the diamond in the rough of the album is a mix of joy and leaving behind past heartaches in the powerful song “Here.” It follows a formula similar to Flatts’ previous hit “Bless the Broken Road,” which spent six weeks at No. 1.

“And 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 breakin,” LeVox sings. “And I’d relive all the years/ And be thankful for the tears/ I’ve cried with every stumbled step/ That led to you and got me here, right here.”

Rascal Flatts in the past released studio albums roughly two years apart, but this is the second consecutive album the guys have released with in about a year and a half of their previous projects.

Life is moving at a faster pace for the trio now, with more tours and quicker album releases. But one thing is still the same: With the group’s latest production, listening to Rascal Flatts still feels good.