Nickel Creek: Why Should the Fire Die
August 13th, 2005 by GoldFalcon
Nickel Creek’s third studio was released August 9th and it is breathtaking. As with their second album “This Side”, this album moves further away from their bluegrass roots and moves Chris Thile’s fire hot mandolin more to the rear of the arrangements letting the songwriting shine. Make no mistake this is not a bluegrass album; it’s not country; it is acoustic something. That something is up to the listener to define, but it is at once familiar and completely new.
This fact is intentionally driven home right off of the bat by the driving, rocking album opener “When in Rome”. The lyrics are intelligent, the beat infectious, and the harmonies haunting. This leads to the masterful bit of songcraft that is “More Like You”. This song is Nickel Creek at their best: driving rhythms, personal lyrics, memorable hooks, and harmonies that were sent down with manna.
“Jealous of the Moon” has hit single written all over it. Expect to hear this tune in several movies. Its sparse arrangement sticks with you long after the CD player has advanced to track four. Speaking of track four “Scotch and Chocolate” ought to make long time fans happy as it harkens back to classic Nickel Creek and is a wonderful jam on par with “The House of Tom Bombadil”
On “Can’t Complain” Thile’s disarmingly honest and direct lyrics combined with his wonderfully understated vocal delivery perfectly convey the feeling of being in the aftermath of a relationship that has ended badly. And they just continue on like that for fourteen rock solid tracks. Through “Eveline”, through the wonderful “Anthony”, through the rocking “Best of Luck”, continuing with the gorgeous “Doubting Thomas” (this song contains some of the best lyrics on the album including the wonderful line “Oh me of little faith”), and finally slapping a cap on the album with the make-you-move, jilted lover anthem “Helena” (if you are not bobbing your head and tapping a foot at 1:40 you have ice in your veins; if you aren’t up and snarling into the air doing a full blown Springsteen dance by 3:30 then you are dead)
, and bolting it on with the title track which slows it down nicely with Eagle-esque harmonies.
This album is a masterpiece.
I would be scared to release it because it is just so good that it sets an impossible standard to live up to in the future, but hey, that’s their problem. Go pick up this incredible piece of artistry right now.
GoldFalcon’s Score 5/5
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