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 singers already rather distinctive image as a true American while keeping both good ole 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 Applebee's tastes, has Super Bowl halftime written all over it.