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On Feel That Fire he's found the midpoint between mirth and mope, as characteristic country barn-burners like the screw-it-'n'-drink sing-along of 'Sideways' mingle with themes of faith and fidelity to generate his most complete album yet.
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Dierks Bentley wants to be everything to every country-music fan, and for the most part, he pulls it off.
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His exceptional new album has plenty of sex and senoritas, but also a higher calling on the uplifting 'It's a Beautiful World,' a duet with Patti Griffin.
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On his fourth album, the Arizona-born artist continues to impress on one well-written song after another.
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The 33-year-old from Arizona keeps things interesting with low-key traces of gritty personality, a quality that rears its head on Feel That Fire and elevates the appeal of its carefully manicured rowdiness.
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The album would be an enjoyable enough lightweight ride without those moments, but when they come, they are welcome. They also give the album an air of missed opportunity.
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Trouble is, there's never been an ounce of menace in his boy-next-door vocals, so there's a credibility gap in those performances, no matter how catchy they are.
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Mr. Bentley still never colors far outside the lines, and his already smooth voice has been polished to a sheen here.
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Feel That Fire has its fun moments ...But Bentley--a plain vocalist-- needs great tunes to hold your interest, and his songwriting slips here.
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It would be nice if some of the titular burn could be felt on Dierks Bentley's fourth studio album, but Feel That Fire is an atypically cautious, calculated affair from one of Nashville's best singer/songwriters of the 2000s.
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Having good taste in collaborators and influences doesn't make up for how often Bentley repeats himself here though, and it isn't enough to keep Feel That Fire from being more than a tremendous disappointment.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 6 out of 10
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Mixed: 2 out of 10
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Negative: 2 out of 10
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jdwFeb 3, 2009AMAZING! why such harsh reviews???