The K Is Silent is a minor miracle, a parody album that can also hold its own with the songs it sends up. All credit goes to
Dierks Bentley and his crackerjack road band who all invented alter egos for
Hot Country Knights, a group that started as a '90s country covers band and turned into the genre's own
Spinal Tap. The connection to the
Tap is underscored by "Asphalt," a punning ballad that evokes memories of "Big Bottom." Dirty jokes are a specialty of
Hot Country Knights -- they don't bother to disguise the double entendre at the heart of "You Make It Hard," a lovelorn duet with
Terri Clark -- and that trait could seem stiflingly smutty if it weren't for the clever kick and knowing precision of the group's original material. "Pick Her Up" is a pitch-perfect bit of rocking country enlivened by a cameo from
Travis Tritt, "Moose Knuckle Shuffle" nails the line dance craze, and "Then It Rained" is an epic send-up of
Garth Brooks at his most serious. Knowing "The Thunder Rolls" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie" well will certainly heighten the appreciation of
The K Is Silent, but the music is so lively that it's appealing outside of the confines of parody. Still, the silliness is infectious, and it's also smart; witness "The USA Begins with Us," which manages not to offend either side of the red and blue divide by emphasizing the idiocy of the
Hot Country Knights. This blend of brains, brawn, and bawdiness all sounds invigorating when delivered by this band of bozos, making
The K Is Silent an ideal soundtrack for good and stupid times. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine