Gravel & Gold

Dierks Bentley treats Gravel & Gold as something of a victory lap, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his 2003 debut album by demonstrating all the different kinds of country music he can do. Gravel & Gold is anchored with the kind of surging, arena-filling country that is his signature, but Bentley finds plenty of space for poignant ballads, bluegrass, and jokes where part of the pleasure is that you see the punchline coming. Bentley knows how to deliver clever spins on country cliches, such as the weary travelogue of "Heartbreak Drinking Tour" or when turning a tune about a truck into a love song. Bentley doesnt shy away from the fact that hes serving up a familiar recipe: he opens the album with "Same Ole Me," an acknowledgment that there are effectively no surprises on Gravel & Gold. Familiarity doesnt always breed contempt, though. Throughout the record, Bentley sounds relaxed and cozy in his comfort zone, and that sense of ease, when combined with the occasional barn burner, such as the jocular bluegrass closer "High Note" -- a bluegrass jam complete with cameos by Billy Strings, Charlie Worsham, Sam Bush, and Jerry Douglas -- is a recipe for a good time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine