“Stand” models bootstraps determination after being dealt a blow (“You taste what you’re made of … Get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off, then you stand”). A man needing a second chance at love appeals to the Creator of all things (“To Make Her Love Me”). “What Hurts the Most” and “Words I Couldn’t Say” show fallout from not telling loved ones how we feel. On “Yes I Do” the band values prayer and refuses to live in the past. “My Wish” is a musical benediction full of hopes and dreams for someone special. Senility can’t erase sweet memories of true love on “Ellsworth” (“She’s in assisted livin’ … It’s like her mind just quit/Oh, but bring up Grandpa, it’s like someone flipped a switch”). Despite being ignored or rejected, God will always be there for people, because “He Ain’t the Leavin’ Kind”—a great song!
“Backwards” spells out c-r-a-p. Alcohol is an accessory to fun on the title track (“Beer and bonfires/Wide open throttle/Coors in a bottle”). More adult beverages flow on “Cool Thing,” a song about an unexpected summer liaison (“We were wrapped up in a blanket, red wine buzz kickin’ in … She didn’t come there lookin’ for love/The cool thing was, neither did I”).
Me and My Gang features catchy choruses and excellent tidings about relationships, perseverance and turning to God. A few disappointing miscues keep this project from being a Flatt-out home run.
