Toby Keith

Toby Keith takes a surprisingly intimate and emotional left turn on American Ride. He sounds stronger than ever dealing with hefty subjects such as the death of a friend on "Crying for Me (Wayman's Song)," self-worth and self-doubt on "Are You Feeling Me" and the unraveling of relationships on "Woke Up On My Own." That's not to say this is a serious, po-faced effort, though -- upbeat songs like "If I Had One" and "Every Dog Has Its Day" show off Keith's wry sense of humor and willingness to have fun. American Ride is one of the most pleasant surprises of 2009.