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When Toby Keith debuted to country radio in 1993 with "Should'vet Been a Cowboy," he was either one of those stars destined to burn out as a one album wonder or one who would shoot to the top as one of the genre's leading stars throughout the remainder of the decade.  His latest CD titled How Do You Like Me Now?! obviously answers the way that panned out.

Keith made major waves on the country charts with the title cut off the disc, as well as other catchy numbers like "New Orleans" and "When Love Fades."  The latter is one of those touching, good love gone bad songs in which Keith sings of trying to rekindle that old flame.  "I Know a Wall When I See One" speaks on the same subject about a couple who can't break past the barriers to communicate with one another.

Clearly, relationships are a theme on the disc and weather or not they come from first hand experience is hard to tell.  Keith is a gifted writer and love is a topic that seems to constantly be on his mind.  "I just sit and wait on inspiration and it usually comes," he said.  "If it's slow, I just call up some of my co-writin' friends who also inspire me, and we go from there.  I look for something that sounds unlike anything on the record and I don't want anything middle-of-the-road."

Even though Keith has found such a niche within country music, a challenge must be issued for him to raise the bar on variety come time to record once again.  How Do you Like Me Now?! follows a similar road as 1997's Dreamwalkin" and Keith seems to be dangling in the same sound-a-like limbo from album to album.

Andy Argyrakis 1/7/2001