Toby Keith American Ride

Emerging as something of a 21st-century Merle Haggard both in his political ambiguity and his rough-edged approach to country hit-making, Toby Keith’s American Ride should simultaneously sharpen the singer’s already rather distinctive image as a true ‘Merican while keeping both good ol’ boys and bleeding hearts guessing. The album features “Crying for You,” a jazz-tinged number purportedly written for NBA player and jazz bassist Waymon Tisdale. While the preposterously bombastic title track, which sounds like the way Applebees tastes, has Superbowl halftime written all over it. The full album is due in late 2009.

Abstract by Nate Knaebel