Long Trip Alone

iTunes Review

The first decade of the 2st Century has produced a bumper crop of young country contenders; few, though, have displayed the promise of Dierks Bentley. Romantic at heart but still rough around the edges, he managed to add modern dynamics to his traditionalist underpinnings without succumbing to excessive slickness. Long Trip Alone takes him further down the road to enduring success. Featuring a brace of tunes co-written by the artist, tracks like “Prodigal Son’s Prayer” (an uplifting collaboration with the Grascals) and “The Heaven I’m Headed For” (a sweeping and nonjudgmental vision of the Hereafter) invoke country’s spiritual roots with conviction. “Trying To Stop Your Leaving” flexes guitar-rock muscle, while “That Don’t Make It Easy Loving Me” is steeped in classic honky tonk humor. Much of the album deals with the conflicting desires of freedom and security, and the best track in this vein is “Band Of Brothers,” a heartfelt ode to the touring musician’s life. Long Trip Alone grounds its songs in real experience and finds resonance even in moments of sorrow. It’s a trip worth taking.