Kendra DeutscheToby Keith’s newest album is yet another success for the provocative and sarcastic country artist.
The album, “White Trash With Money,” is currently No. 12 on the national Billboard Top 200 list, and has spent the last three weeks high in the charts since its release April 11 peaking at the No. 2 position.
Fans of the hit country artist will be pleased to see that Keith continues to effectively tell it like it is in this album.
The theme of the disc, white trash, is apparent throughout the entire album – even to the cover and disc itself. The essence of white trash comes with the pink flamingo that greets you on the face of the disc.
Additionally, the lyrics are scribbled within the cover, and many are even crossed out and re-written – another white trash indication. Pictures of a trailer and a shot of tequila keep the theme going, giving an excellent presentation.
The album opener, “Get Drunk and Be Somebody,” is the first hit single of the disc, which has inevitably been a large reason for the album’s success. With lyrics like, “Yeah the big boss man, he likes to crack that whip/ I ain’t nothin’ but a number on his time card slip/ I give him 40 hours and a piece o’ my soul/ Puts me somewhere at the bottom of his totem pole,” fans will be pleased to once again see his crude sense of humor.
The upbeat song, with extremely catchy lyrics, is something nearly everyone will enjoy as it mocks the monotony of everyday life.
The next song, “A Little Too Late,” switches gears to a laid-back tune that talks about letting go of a stale relationship. After a false ending, Keith uses instrumentals to continue the calm atmosphere of the song.
In “Can’t Buy You Money,” Keith humorously talks about a white-trash lifestyle with lyrics such as: “Cause we’re goin’ out, yeah/ And it’s a drive thru window and pick out a combo super size/ Yeah then swing on down to the Wal-Mart and let the kids pick out a prize.” The percussion background of this song brings in very interesting rhythms and a good sound in general.
In “Note to Self,” he again brings his crude sense of humor to the album. The song, which has rather broken and abrupt lyrics, seems as though he is really leaving himself little notes as reminders of how not to mess things up.
Keith incorporates many of the tough issues that face our world today into his song “Ain’t No Right Way,” which includes lyrics about a girl who has to drop out of school due to pregnancy.
He also brings in politics and religion to this song, reminiscent of past songs such as “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” when he says “If God blessed America/ Then how could someone vote/ To take prayer from our classrooms/ Right when we need prayer the most.” He effectively expresses his opinions without throwing his beliefs at his listeners.
The last three songs of the album are more of Keith’s famous bus songs, though this time, they are studio recordings instead of the past live versions. Either way, he brings songs that were originally intended for himself and his band mates to his fans. One such song, “Brand New Bow,” even uses a kazoo, something rarely heard outside of elementary school birthday parties, to successfully keep the theme of the album going.
“White Trash With Money” is arguably one of Keith’s best albums, as it uses all his high points of the past while bringing in new, humorous themes. Fans are sure to enjoy his latest release.