Modern Day Drifter (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Dierks Bentley (vocals, guitar); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, banjo); Del McCoury, Steven Sheehan (acoustic guitar); J.T. Corenflos, Rod Janzen (electric guitar); Gary Morse (pedal steel guitar); Rob McCoury (banjo); Ronnie McCoury (mandolin); Aubrey Haynie, Jason Carter (fiddle); Mike Bub (double bass); Jimmy Carter (bass guitar); Steve Brewster (drums); Alison Krauss, Wes Hightower, Russell Terrell, Lona R. Heins (background vocals).

There's little question that Dierks Bentley has good taste, as well as a burning desire to be part of the tradition of rough, rugged, and sensitive hard country singers. In particular, he styles himself after Merle and Waylon, two influences that were apparent on his eponymous 2003 debut but come to the forefront on his 2005 follow-up, Modern Day Drifter. Even the title of the record signals Bentley's intention to be a ramblin' man for the 2000s, and the music consciously echoes not just the past, but ramblin' man classics -- the first single, "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do," is styled after Waylon's "This Time" and "Good Man Like Me" deliberately mimics Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On." This isn't a drag on the record -- if anything slows it down, it's the occasional too-tasteful ballad, as well as such cloying, product placement-filled stabs at contemporary country as "Cab of My Truck" -- because Bentley has a nice, strong country croon and delivers this straight-ahead neo-traditionalist sound pleasantly and earnestly. He doesn't have much flair, though, as either a singer or writer. Instead of being a true ramblin' man and forging his own direction, he follows the path that Merle and Waylon created, never stamping it with much of his own personality. This makes for some good music, of course, but it's a bit of a mixed blessing that Bentley is at his best when he's following the blueprint of his heroes to a T. Next time around, maybe he can draw inspiration from the spirit of his idols and put his own unmistakable personal stamp on his music instead of just crafting his record to sound like something they might have recorded. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

When hearing about Dierks Bentley's life, the title of MODERN DAY DRIFTER begins to make sense; the Nashville-based singer spends nearly 300 days a year on the road, playing everything from frat houses to small-town fairs. All this hard work has paid off in spades, as Bentley's sophomore record has that no-frills, worn-in feeling that characterizes the best country music.

Refreshingly free of faux-hillbilly novelty songs and over-the-top sentimentality, MODERN DAY DRIFTER is full of matter-of-fact tunes about everyday situations. "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do" is classic roadhouse love-gone-wrong music, complete with a four-on-the-floor Waylon Jennings-style beat and percolating steel guitar. "Cab of My Truck" matches an extended metaphor about the title's subject to a Marty Stuart-esque neo-rockabilly feel. "Good Man Like Me" reveals Bentley's deep love of bluegrass by pairing him with the Del McCoury band for a good-natured hoedown. An earthy and substantial album of bare-bones Nashville tunes, MODERN DAY DRIFTER will appeal to fans who like their country straight-up. minimize