Cocky

Cocky has fewer of the braggadocio rhymes and hip-hop accents that defined Kid Rock’s early records, but this post-Devil Without a Cause victory lap lacks no swagger when he launches into tunes like “You Never Met a Motherf**ker Quite Like Me” and “Cocky.” For a signal of things to come, cue up the co-written duet with Sheryl Crow on “Picture.” Adopting the pose of a sensative blue collar rocker (which he would fully embrace on later records like 2010’s Born Free) Kid Rock brings a lot of emotional depth to the Skynyard-blasting, corn row-wearing party animal we first met.