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Dierks Bentley follows up his lauded 2002 debut with an assured sophomore effort that brims with confidence in his vocals and features tougher, edgier music behind him. Bentley could have gone for the soporific mainstream middle ground, but instead he hews close to country's rough-cut school, equal parts Bakersfield and Texas, with nods to the New Traditionalist era here and there, especially in the pulsating hit single "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do" and the rugged road song "Cab of My Truck" (Marty Stuart is a pronounced influence throughout). Guitars sting and twang, echoed by flailing banjo; the fiddle saws furiously on the barnburners; and the rhythm section keeps that big bottom rock-solid. Bentley's originals reveal his eye for the telling detail and a sensitivity to commonplace experiences that resonate over the course of a lifetime. Vocally, he deploys his husky baritone with equal effectiveness on up-tempo rousers and sweet-hearted ballads, the best here being the winsome "Good Things Happen," which isn't hurt by Alison Krauss's velvety harmonies. The Del McCoury Band comes aboard too, for a loosey-goosey, shambling bluegrass take on Del's ironic, bittersweet breakup tune "Good Man like Me." Closing on a high note, Bentley offers a poignant reading of "Gonna Get There Someday," an eloquent lyric about loving, leaving, and staying true to a dream.
Condition:NEW. Slashed case
TRACK LISTINGS
Disc 1
1 Lot of Leavin' Left to Do 4:32
2 Come a Little Closer 4:41
3 Cab of My Truck 3:39
4 Settle for a Slowdown 3:43
5 Domestic, Light and Cold 4:00
6 Good Things Happen 3:45
7 Down on Easy Street 3:30
8 So So Long 3:24
9 Modern Day Drifter 4:10
10 Good Man Like Me 3:07
11 Gonna Get There Someday 4:18
12 Domestic, Light and Cold Bonus Track 3:59
13 She Won't Choose Me Bonus Track 5:32
Disc 2
1 Documentary: Dierks Talks About the Songs Bonus Track / DVD
2 Lot of Leavin' Left to Do Bonus Track / DVD
3 Making of the Video Bonus Track / DVD
4 Lot of Leavin' Left to Do Bonus Track / DVD / Mix
5 Come a Little Closer Bonus Track / DVD / Mix
6 Settle for a Slowdown Bonus Track / DVD / Mix
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