Toby Keith

Keith is more a beer than a wine kind of guy, but just like wine he’s getting better with age. “Grain of Salt” is the touchstone on this disc, an alcohol-drenched kiss-off rocker buoyed by his skilled wordplay, which too often in the past had been sublimated to his macho growling. “Note to Self” is a sympathetic exercise in taking responsibility for an unhappily-ever-after romance. Keith is flexing new creative muscles, so even though the results here are inconsistent, it feels like a prelude to something memorable.