Few aspiring bluegrass artists have tackled the genre as unpredictably
as Nickel Creek. For their third offering, the precocious trio have ditched
longtime producer Alison Krauss in favor of Tony Berg and Eric Valentine
(Smash Mouth, Queens of the Stone Age, Good Charlotte), and quietly crafted
one of the most explosive acoustic records of the year. Longtime fans
who were mystified by Chris Thile's experimental 2004 solo release Deceiver
may cock their collective heads in dismay, but those who appreciate the
group's searing musicianship, orgasmic harmonies, and genre-bending arrangements
will no doubt wear out their copies of Why Should the Fire Die? within
the first month of ownership. Darker, colder, and infinitely more aggressive
than their previous offerings, WSTFD is -- in spirit only -- the progressive
bluegrass/folk-pop genre's reply to Radiohead's Kid A. "When in Rome,"
with its radio signal crackle and full-band boot stomps asks, "Where
can a dead man go/A question with an answer only dead men know."
It's a chilly way to open a record, but it's also a declaration of independence
from three friends who have known nothing but the stage since they were
in single digits, and are determined to meet their mid-twenties head on.
There's a newfound penchant for percussion throughout WSTFD that's not
nearly as invasive as purists might think. While the ferocious "Helena"
is the only track that features actual drums, bassist Mark Schatz is veritable
one-man drum corps, dropping sinister slides and buzz-filled ringers that
when paired with Thile and Sean Watkins's mandolin/mandola/guitar work
is pure analogue thunder. This combination is at its most effective on
the moody Gillian Welch-meets-the Beach Boys majesty of the album's brooding
centerpiece, "Eveline." A masterful display of dynamics, it
blurs the line between pop, progressive rock, and country with a magic
marker the size of Texas. Even the more traditional numbers like "Jealous
of the Moon," "Can't Complain," and "Tomorrow Is a
Long Time" -- the latter, sung by the honey-throated Sara Watkins,
proves once and for all that Bob Dylan songs were placed on this earth
to be interpreted by others -- are infused with the kind of electricity
usually reserved for bands with vintage amplifiers and substance abuse
problems. Why Should the Fire Die? is a brave album that warrants more
than a passing glance from country and bluegrass purists, and the full
support of the indie rock/folk/pop community.
(by James Christopher Monger, All
Music Guide)
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