Rating: NNN
I can’t say that I’ve ever met a fanatical Barney Bentall fan. Nope, never met any fans who had full-back tattoos of Bentall’s face or preplanned it so they’d lose their virginity to his songs. But that’s fine — we can’t all be Pearl Jam or the Eagles. I’d imagine that Vancouver’s favourite son feels just fine cranking out mellow, pensive country/folk/rock songs with sweet melodies. Bentall’s warm and gravelly voice convinces you he’s a fellow who can tell a story, and with some production help from Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, Gift Horse resonates with its fair share of rural influence and reflection.