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His new album is not exactly like the last or the one before that, and is pleasantly surprising in its evolution.
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Toby Keith's 14th studio album That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy maintains a purity of country form many of his pop- leaning peers lack, an abundance of steel guitar and lonesome vocal twang anchoring lyrics awash in mysterious women, lost love, and personal failings he doesn't always apologize for.
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The 47-year-old Oklahoma native alters that repertoire somewhat with That Don't Make me a Bad Guy, sticking to accessible, down-home rock even as his singing ranges from new directions to bland drains on his natural character.
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While most of the songs are well written and Keith attacks each vocal performance with his immediately recognizable command and swagger, not all of his production choices work.
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This is gentleman country, and what’s surprising is how natural it sounds. While these vocals lack his characteristic robustness, his gift for melody is intact.