Dierks Bentley is back to his fighting weight with country radio as “Am I the Only One” and “Home” prove themselves as big chart hits.  Next up he’ll release his first full mainstream country albumin years and he has released the official track list. The new release – titled Home after the bells ringin’ inspirational – custom made to synch with this year’s fireworks on the 4th of july –  follows Bentley’s 2010 bluegrass effort Up on the Ridge.

Bentley recently revealed that he will celebrate the album’s release with a show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on February 2:

“My home is in Nashville with my family, my home is on the road with our fans and my home is definitely in country music.”  Bentley also said of the new album, which marks his seventh studio release:

“This album is more than a year’s worth of writing, recording and testing out material on the road in front of our hardcore fans. The end result is an album that runs through all the types of country songs and sounds I enjoy singing and playing.”

Here’s the track by Track:

1. “Am I The Only One”

2. “Gonna Die Young”

3. “Tip It On Back”

4. “Home”

5. “Diamonds Make Babies”

6. “In My Head”

7. “Breathe You In”

8. “The Woods”

9. “When You Gonna Come Around”

10. “5-1-5-0″

11. “Heart of a Lonely Girl”

12. “Thinking of You”

“Tell me have you ever wanted Someone so much it hurts? Your lips keep trying to speak But you just can’t find the words…” – We Owned The Night

So album three begins for Lady Antebellum… the name long since shortened by most to just Lady A… a trio that has accomplished an unusual feat in country music:  they crossed over and have a comfortable foot planted in modern Adult Contemporary music and another foot still proudly planted in the Country arena.  The new album is once again produced by Paul Worley (Dixie Chicks).

Charles Kelly, Dave Haywood (both from Augusta, GA) and Hillary Scott (daughter or country queen Linda Davis a Nashville native) have come up with a solid third offering that will please fans of the incomparable “Need You Now.”

The group – in one combination or another – had a hand in writing every song except two on “Own The Night”… including the sounds like a beer commercial tagline title track.

The first single, “Just A Kiss,” has already popped to number one on Country Radio and is getting solid AC radio play too.

The big question for the trio is can this album come close to satisfying a world of show business that always wants bigger hits and more sales.    The last album was a phenominon – primarily thanks to the mega hit title track  Need You Now.

That album went on to debut with first week sales of over 480,000.   Something only matched by Taylor Swift these days.

Although we wish there was a few more fun tempo tracks there is plenty for NYN fans to enjoy on Own the Night. The Charles and Hillary harmonies soar as usual and the jangly intrumentation is still distinctly country enough to remain the pride of Nashville.  Although the trio dips into some very modern sounds – like on the rich “Somewhere Love Remains” – they still sound mainstream country.  They are one of the few contemporary country acts that could sell in a Starbucks.

Own The Night / Lady Antebellum

Own The Night Track Listing:

1. ‘We Owned the Night
2. ‘Just a Kiss’
3. ‘Dancin’ Away With My Heart’
4. ‘Friday Night’
5. ‘When You Were Mine’
6. ‘Cold As Stone’
7. ‘Singing Me Home’
8. ‘Wanted You More’
9. ‘As You Turn Away’
10. ‘Love I’ve Found in You’
11. ‘Somewhere Love Remains’
12. ‘Heart of the World’

OVERALL GRADE A-

Don’t Miss: Somewhere Love Remains

And a Grammy... good week.

Hats off (no pun intended for hat act lovers) to Lady Antebellum’s Charles, Dave and Hillary on topping the overall and country album sales charts with 481,000 debut-week sales for the group’s Need You Now. The Nielsen SoundScan total is the biggest debut by a country artist since Taylor Swift’s Fearless bowed with 592,000 units in November 2008.

A large percentage is suspected to attributed to massive downloads of the smash multi week title track. Combined single downloads are figured into the tally. Christmas iTunes cards must’ve helped here. Record breaking January sales.

Dave Tweeted -”We’re Absolutely stunned!”

The band used their weekly webisode to thank the fans — see the brilliant thank you below…