Since Toby Keith's commercial success and canny image manipulation show how shrewd he is, perhaps the best explanation for songs as lackluster as "Note to Self" (a generic Rolling Stones arrangement with a hokey lyric) and "Runnin' Block" (about bedding an unattractive woman for the benefit of a buddy) are either laziness or pandering. On White Trash with Money, his first release on his own Show Dog imprint (and without longtime producer James Stroud), Keith occasionally appears to be stretching himself--on the string-laden balladry of "A Little Too Late," the tender "Crash Here Tonight," and perhaps his finest vocal performance to date on "Too Far This Time"--but often seems to be coasting. "Get Drunk and Be Somebody," "Grain of Salt," and "Brand-New Bow" are never less (and little more) than dumb fun, while "Can't Buy You Money" is a clever twist on the "money can't buy you love" adage. The most contentious track here, "Ain't No Right Way," is just waving a red flag at those who refuse to reduce complex issues to simple black-and-white. Keith insists that he only writes as many songs as he needs to record; this time, some quality control might have required writing a few more. --Don McLeese
