Keith returns with Mexican-inspired album
Toby Keith continues to keep his country organic with his first new album in six years, Peso In My Pocket. Keith pens or co-pens half of the album’s ten tracks with three being cover songs from other artists. The album was largely inspired by his stay in Mexico during the first few months of the pandemic, but he never forgets his American roots.
The album’s lead single, “Old School,” was written by Brett Tyler, Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris, and became the highest Billboard Country Airplay chart debut of his career upon its release earlier this summer. The ditty about reliving carefree moments of one’s life is a great throwback for the Gen Z’s who’ve been reviving 90s country on TikTok.
Most of the album is downright traditional country with only one song featuring programming, which is “Growing Up Is A Bitch,” a co-write with Sammy Hagar. The album features a mix of seriousness with his signature humor, with the title track’s chorus stating, “I have a Peso in my pocket and a pepper in my pants, got a poncho on my shoulder and a cha cha in my dance.” You can read into that what you will…
Despite being inspired by Mexico, Keith continues to express his love for this country with “Happy Birthday America,” the closing track. In it, he draws attention to the recent unrest that’s been impacting this country for the past several years, thanks mostly to social media. In his voice, you can hear the sadness of how divided this country has been recently and the hopes that it’ll turn around and the people of America can be united again.
Peso in My Pocket is available on CD and digitally with a vinyl edition slated for December 10th. If you’re a fan of Keith and or classic sounding country, this album needs to be in your collection, in whatever configurations you desire.
