Dustin Bentall

Well now, here’s a fine how do you do. Out of nowhere (by which I mean North Vancouver) comes fresh-faced Dustin Bentall with a set of simple, well-penned alt-country treats. With street-smart lyrics and a whiskey-rough voice far beyond his 20 short years, the album has enough range and twang to hang together as a wholly satisfying piece of work. Bentall (yes, Barney’s son) whips together just the right combination of foot-stompers and tear-jerkers to keep things interesting. From the freight-train chug of the title track to the delicate cover of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s "Helplessly Hoping,” his well-polished band are right on the money, making this disc an all-round impressive debut. You’d be well advised to hitch your dusty trailer to this bandwagon.