Album Review: Dierks Bentley - Riser

After seven albums of rousing the country faithful Dierks Bentley is suddenly very reflective. Picking up on what previous album, Home, hinted at, Bentley gets contemplative with Bourbon In Kentucky, I Hold On and Riser – songs about whiskey and trucks that convey the struggles of the lonely human experience. Jumped-up efforts like Drunk On A Plane aren't as passionate as they once were; Bentley misses his family too much to convince us he's ready to party. It's not the hit-laden album the label probably wanted, but his middle-age break-up sense of mourning makes it one of his best.