Bentley Back to Good with 'Ridge'

by Julian Spivey

After a terrible fourth album in 2009’s “Feel That Fire,” it’s nice to see that country music star Dierks Bentley has calmed down a bit and gone the route of mostly bluegrass for his fifth album “Up on the Ridge.”

“Up on the Ridge” is easily Bentley’s best album since his debut, self-titled album in 2003. However, it likely won’t sell as well as some of his others albums because it isn’t mainstream country. The fact that it isn’t mainstream country is likely what makes it Bentley’s best album in seven years.

The first single off of the album is the title track, which is the closest mainstream country sounding song on the album, even with a quick banjo line throughout the song.

The best performance on the album is Bentley’s cover of legendary songwriter Kris Kristofferson’s “Bottle to the Bottom,” which feature Kristofferson, himself, on one of the verses.

The album also includes a bluegrass version of the U2 classic “Pride (In the Name Of Love) with The Punch Brothers and Del McCoury chiming in. The song is definitely an interesting interpretation, especially with McCoury’s one of a kind vocals on the chorus. Interesting doesn’t mean great, but there isn’t a bad song on the album.

Another big highlight of the album is the collaboration that Bentley did with Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson (two of the best country singers around) on the song “Bad Angel.”

The best story song on the album is a take on the Bob Dylan penned “Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) in which The Punch Brothers join Bentley. Chris Thile of The Punch Brothers and formerly of Nickel Creek joins Bentley on the second and third verses of the song.

With songs written by Dylan and Kristofferson, Bentley certainly did a splendid job of choosing songs for this album. Bentley also co-wrote five of the songs on “Up on the Ridge.” The Bentley penned songs are the title track, “Rovin’ Gambler,” “Draw Me a Map,” “You’re Dead to Me” and “Down in the Mine.”

The best of the Bentley penned songs is arguably a tie between “You’re Dead to Me” and “Down in the Mine.” The angelic vocals of Alison Krauss chime in as backup vocals on “Down in the Mine.”

As previously mentioned, there isn’t a single bad song on this album, which once again is a relief coming from the guy who recently recorded the horrendous “Sideways.”

“Up on the Ridge” was recently nominated for a CMA Award for album of the year. Bentley has garnered a nomination for male vocalist of the year and the collaboration with Lambert and Johnson on “Bad Angel” has been nominated for musical event of the year.    

If you’re a country music or bluegrass fan be sure to pick this album up. I guarantee it’s going to be one of the five best albums of the year in its genre.