In Pieces

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine After the relative commercial disappointment of The Chase , Garth Brooks toned down his experimental eclecticism on In Pieces . Alternating between heavily rock-influenced numbers, dramatic ballads, and revamped honky tonk, In Pieces appeals to the audience that found The Chase too pretentious and overly serious. That doesn't mean Brooks abandoned his desire to bend the rules -- he's just masked his more ambitious material with crowd-pleasing up-tempo numbers like "American Honky-Tonk Bar Association" and "Ain't Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)." In Pieces is an album that was made for the fans, and it shows -- it is one of Brooks' most energetic and exciting collections.