Album Review: Toby Keith’s ’35 mph Town’
Toby Keith has been writing songs every day since he was 15 and this is evident on his 18th studio album, 35 mph Town. A versatile release that showcases why the singer was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Toby wrote nine of the ten tracks on the album and each song holds a unique story that the country singer is well known and respected for.
35 mph Town begins with “Drunk Americans,” the only track not penned by Toby. Written by Brandy Clark, Bob DiPiero and Shane McAnally, “Drunk Americans” is a song tailor made for the singer. “The second I heard it I knew I had to cut it because it sounded exactly like what I’ve made a career of doing,” he says. “Very well-written with a nice waltz tempo, it’s a drinking song with a good little message: ‘Everyone needs to get along and drink a cold beer.'”
Meanwhile, the title track also holds a message by waxing nostalgic on the good ‘ole days when kids played outside, families left their doors unlocked and life was easier and safer. It’s a glimpse into the changing times in a three-and-a-half minute song. On “35 mph Town” Toby sings, ‘Mama locked the door last night/For the first time in all of her years/I said mama you gotta be kidding me/She said things ain’t like they used to be round here.’
While there are songs with important messages, there are also plenty of drinking songs. “Rum Is the Reason” is a laidback track with a distinct island vibe that surmises, “Rum is the reason pirates never ruled the world.” Mac McAnally co-produced the track with Toby and for the song, they brought in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. “The way it was written, the second you hear it even just on acoustic guitar, you know you have to have the steel drums,” Toby explains. “It sends you to Key West pretty quick.”
And speaking of Jimmy Buffett, the Margaritaville man himself makes a cameo on “Sailboat For Sale.” A song about a man who trades his boat for his dream boat only to realize he still wants the boat he had, the idea came from Toby’s frequent writing partner and co-producer Bobby Pinson. “I put Jimmy Buffett on it and I hope it gains some legs and takes off running,” he adds.
While the drinking songs are what Toby is well known for, it is his ballads on 35 mph Town that leave the greatest mark. The heartbreaking “What She Left Behind” has Toby spraying his former lover’s perfume on the pillow to remember her. “It isn’t what she took that messes with my mind, it’s what she left behind,” he sings. Additionally, the beautiful and more traditional “Haggard, Hank & Her” strikes a chord, while album closer “Beautiful Stranger,” with its string accompaniment and memorable vocals from Toby, leaves a lasting impression. “The vocal shows some range people probably don’t hear out of me a lot,” he says of the track.
After decades of writing songs, Toby continues to push himself with 35 mph Town, an impressive feat for the new Songwriters Hall of Fame member.
