When word came down that Dierks Bentley would be covering U2’s “Pride (In The Name Of Love)”, (in bluegrass fashion, no less!), this country singer’s motivations were immediately questioned in some quarters. After all, what connection could this Nashville guy have with an Irish band’s song that praises the Martin Luther King, JR legacy? Yet Bentley’s version works perfectly because he doesn’t try to slap a faux bluegrass vocal over this track’s acoustic instrumentation. Instead, he sings it with a sincerity that cannot be questioned. And it works. The same can be said of Bentley’s overall bluegrass leap with Up on the Ridge. Instead of the sound of Bentley putting on a bluegrass hat, this fine release sounds more like a natural progression.
There are many fine songs filling out this release. And few are better than Bentley’s three-way with Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson during “Bad Angel”. Its lyric describes many of mankind’s greatest personal vices (smoking, drinking, and gambling), while it begs the devil to quit tempting humans so much. With its expressive fiddle and mandolin, the song sounds like it was expressly made for guys like Ralph Stanley.
Bluegrass music is as much about location as it is about any style or sound. And Bentley gets right to that point with the album’s first two tracks. “Down In the Mine” addresses the sad miner’s dilemma, whereas “Up on the Ridge”, in contrast, celebrates the pleasures of rural life.
Of course, there are also songs about love and love spurned, as well. One of the best is titled “You’re dead to me”. With its peppy groove, the character in it has obviously come to grips with the fact that this pairing exists no longer. And the good news is that he didn’t even have to make this happen in mafia style – you know, with guns or knives.
With his regular mainstream releases, Bentley never afraid to amp up the guitars and drums. But it’s also easy to imagine many of his hits done unplugged style. That’s why this release comes off like a logical step, rather than a complete change in course. It’s just a slightly different side of his personality.
Bentley also picked the best of the best when it came to selecting musicians to play on his latest effort. Some of the players include Sam Bush (fiddle, mandolin, and vocal harmonies), Brian Sutton (guitar), and Rob McCoury (banjo). Guest vocalists include Vince Gill, Allison Krauss, and Kris Kristofferson (who sings a duet with Bentley on “Bottle to the Bottom”).
So, will Bentley fans understand and appreciate Up on the Ridge? Of course they will! Bentley may get loud (and a little sideways at times), but he’s also consistently country, through and through. There aren’t any loud electric guitars here, but Bentley’s musical personality (sans much of its humor) stands out clearly throughout.
In this day and age when the most popular country artist (Taylor Swift) sure doesn’t sound country, it’s reassuring to hear an album that cannot be classified any other way but country. It’s a bit of a risky move, granted, but many times great risks pay off handsomely. Therefore, in the name of love (of country music), please pick up Bentley’s latest.
You can support Dierks Bentley by purchasing this album at Amazon (CD) | Amazon (mp3) | iTunes.
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