Dierks Bentley

1	What Was I Thinkin' 4:21
2	Wish It Would Break 3:36
3	Forget About You 3:03
4	I Can Only Think of One 3:50
5	My Last Name 3:31
6	Bartenders, Etc... 2:47
7	Is Anybody Loving You These Days 3:23
8	My Love Will Follow You 3:19
9	How Am I Doin' 3:49
10	Distant Shore 3:01
11	I Bought the Shoes 3:27
12	Whiskey Tears 3:32
13	Train Travelin' 4:40

Barnes & Noble

Clearly a George Strait acolyte, newcomer Dierks Bentley comes out of the gate with a skewed, Strait-like sense of humor on the chugging album opener, "What Was I Thinkin' " and gets eerily close to the Texas troubadour's smooth way with a love ballad on the tenderhearted "I Can Only Think of You." Bentley, who co-wrote most of the songs on his debut album, reveals his way with words, his thoughtful perspective on the world, and his traditionalist's sensibility, musical and otherwise. The straightforward ballad "My Last Name" finds him reflecting on the achievements of previous generations and vowing to uphold the family honor, as rustic fiddles and acoustic guitars provide a keening counterpoint. But Bentley never lets things get too heavy: "Bartenders, Etc." is a rousing honky-tonk tribute to the booze-laden site of his nightly antics, while the propulsive "I Bought the Shoes" takes a rather sardonic look at a high-maintenance woman who walked out on him wearing footwear purchased with his credit card. Closing out on a high note, Bentley makes the most of the Del McCoury Band's guest appearance on "Train Travelin'," a moody, mid-tempo homage to the joys of riding the steel rail, supported by the McCoury fellows' high-lonesome harmonies and steady-rolling rhythm, which suggests a host of boxcars rumbling restlessly through the night. There's lots of meat on this bone, and it's a fine way to kick off what should be an interesting career. David McGee

All Music Guide

There is apparently no limit to the number of Opry-friendly, down-home, good-looking crooners that Nashville can wrap in jeans and put forth in any given year. Like most of these, Dierks Bentley seems amiable enough, and, on this debut album, he makes each required stop on the stardom trail: rascally, boot-scoot humor ("Bartenders, Etc."), gauzy nostalgia ("My Last Name"), honky tonk swagger ("I Bought the Shoes"), boozy self-pity ("Whiskey Tears"), goofy outtake endings ("How Am I Doin'"), and, in "Distant Shore," an actually fairly complex purée of romantic revenge, poetic intoxication, and Biblical allusion. Aside from strident patriotism, which somehow slipped through the net, that pretty much covers all the bases. Bentley pulls it all off with a rawboned delivery that skims the surface of the genre without leaving a ripple of individualism in its wake. The last number, "Train Traveling," provides an unexpected jolt by pairing Bentley with the Del McCoury Band, whose intensity is evident from the artful accelerando that kicks off the song. But on every other track, Bentley is backed by competent and undistinguished players who know how to breeze through songs that value the deft lick and clever wordplay more than suggestions of depth or insight. This young singer clearly deserves whatever success he achieves for making all the right moves and offending no one aside from the odd disgruntled critic. Robert Doerschuk

Entertainment Weekly

Country's freshman of the year. (B) Chris Willman