Search - Dierks Bentley :: Modern Day Drifter (Eco)

Lay You Down

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 09/25/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I picked up this CD @ a $2 sale and see there are copies available for under a buck. I'd never heard this artist before; so "Modern Day Drifter" is my introduction. The opener "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do" is a peppy rocker. "Come a Little Closer" is my favorite track, a nice romantic slow track as Bentley croons, "I feel like layin' you down." "Settle for a Sundown" is another slow song where Bentley seems to connect with the emotional lyric, "I held on longer than I should." Bentley takes Jamie Hartford's "Good Things Happen" and again excels on the slower tempo song where he can get into the lyric. "So So Long" picks up the tempo with Bentley's vocals containing enough sass to suit a jilted lover. Bentley teams successfully with the Del McCoury Band on "Good Man Like Me" that infuses the track with some energy. The strength of the CD is that Bentley has great instrumental backing from his band. Weaknesses include a little over half of the album is slow. Much of the songwriting lacks a distinctive sense of melody. Two of the more lively tracks, "Cab of My Truck" & "Domestic, Light & Cold" sound like about 20 other Nashville singers. This is nice background music, but fails to inspire me to look for his other releases. When I'm in this musical mood, I'll probably spin Keith Urban. Taxi!"