Latest releases reviewed
TOBY KEITH White Trash with MoneyUniversal ***
Toby Keith, a self-confessed "conservative democrat" who supports President George Bush, has a way with words, many of them guaranteed to irritate even the most tolerant liberal soul. The man from Oklahoma is one of the leading lights of Nashville country, with a long parade of awards and hit albums behind him. And he is good. His rich, round and unhurried voice carries a difficult tune effortlessly, and he can write as well. But on this new album, co-produced by singer Lari White, he seems to be going through the right-wing Alpha male motions a tad too easily. How anyone at this stage could write and sing something as neanderthal as Runnin' Block, a crude and ignorant tale of a boys' night out, is beyond me, while Ain't No Right Way deals in absolute terms with difficult issues such as abortion and classroom prayer. There are lots of references to break-ups and piss-ups, including the following line from the bitter Grain of Salt: "I took your leavin' with a grain of salt/Tequila and a slice of lime . . . " But it's all rather comical and predictable. www.tobykeith.com
Joe Breen
IRMA THOMAS After the Rain Rounder Records ***
There were not many sunny sides to Katrina's devastation of New Orleans, but r'n'b veteran Irma Thomas's reappearance stems directly from that tragedy. Initially feared caught up in the disaster, Thomas had actually been out of town playing a show. But fears about her safety helped bring the 65-year-old singer back into the public eye, which in turn led her back into the recording studio for the first time in six years. Aptly titled, After the Rain is a reflective and classy piece of singing that is too often too restrained for its own good on an eclectic mix of songs ranging from blues standards to more contemporary material, all performed in a loose New Orelans style. Highlights include the gospel Another Man Done Gone, with special reference to Katrina's victims, Blind Willie Johnson's Soul of a Man, and I Count the Tears by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. www.rounder.com
Joe Breen
