Dierks Bentley has done a lot of experimenting throughout the course of his career.
Whether he was dabbling in bluegrass on his beloved 2010 album, Up On the Ridge or leaning towards a pop-country sound on his 2016 album Black (probably not for the best), Dierks has put together an impressive, yet versatile, career in country music.
Although Dierks can easily make a setlist full of hits each night, there are a lot of forgotten album cuts that could easily be considered some of his best work.
You could probably say that for most artists, but here are six album cuts that should’ve gotten more love.
“Bad Angel” (feat. Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson)
As one of Dierks’ best collaborations, it is a shame that “Bad Angel” never made it to country radio back in 2010. Joined by two of country music’s most treasured artists, Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson, Dierks hits a homerun with this feisty bluegrass tune.
“Bad angel, get off of my shoulder now
Bad angel, let me be
I’m standing at the cross roads
Of Temptation and Salvation Street”
“Damn These Dreams”
This is absolutely one of Dierks’ most reflective songs. We all know “I Hold On,” and the value of detail that it contains, but “Damn These Dreams” takes it to a whole other level. As a part of his huge 2016 album Riser, Dierks walks us through different stages of his life. From falling in love with music to the struggle of being a touring musician out on the road, Dierks makes it known that following your dreams isn’t always easy, especially in the music business.
“Well, I remember hearin’ my song on the radio
The first time it felt like some kinda drug
Out there on the road playing show after show
Me and the boys just burnin’ it up
It was all fun and games ’til the little ones came
‘Cause it makes my heart bleed
When I gotta drive away and listen to ’em say
Hey daddy, why you gotta go, please don’t leave.”
“Can’t Be Replaced”
Written by Dierks, Hillary Lindsey, and Luke Laird, “Can’t Be Replaced” is a song that we can all relate to. Dierks reminds us that it doesn’t matter how much money you make, there are just some things you can’t buy back. He remembers his jacket from high school, a mixtape and various other memories, but the real gut punch is when he mentions his late dog Jake who he lost after 15 years.
“For fifteen years right by my side
From a single man to three kids and a wife
Friends come and go, but when it comes to Jake
There’s just some things that can’t be replaced.”
“You Can’t Bring Me Down”
As a part of his 2018 record The Mountain, Dierks made it clear that his album was an ode to the breathtaking views of Colorado. Steering away from the Nashville sound, “You Can’t Bring Me Down” is a feel-good song that was recorded just outside of Telluride, CO.
“So I turn up a cold one, and I turn up the volume
On life, on love, on the way I feel right now
Yeah, I’ve learned how to let go, and how to take the high road
I’m on another level, you can’t bring me down”
“Wish It Would Break”
From Dierks self-titled debut album, way back in 2003, “Wish It Would Break” was written by Dierks Bentley and longtime collaborator Brett Beavers. A classic country heartbreak tune, it find our young Dierks trying to navigate the heartache of moving on from a relationship that you just can’t seem to shake.
“And I swear my trucks got a haunted radio
‘Cause I hear you in every song
But I know what the silence makes me do
So I keep givin’ those buttons more abuse
I wonder how much punchin’ it can take
I wish it would break.”
“Thinking of You”
Cowritten with Jim Beavers, Dierks dives in headfirst for a sentimental love song. “Thinking of You” finds Dierks confessing that he is always thinking about his wife, no matter the time or place. This track also features a vocal appearance by Dierks’ daughter towards the end of the song.
“I’m thinkin of you, that’s all I do all the time
You’re always the first and the last thing on this heart of mine
No matter where I go or what I do,
I’m thinkin’ of you.”
Dierks performing “Thinking of You” live at the Ryman with his daughter: