Nickel Creek - This Side

Whereas Nickel Creek's debut album established the young California trio at the progressive vanguard of traditional bluegrass, this ambitious, risky follow-up finds their acoustic artistry straying far afield. Mandolin player Chris Thile and the Watkins siblings--guitarist Sean and fiddler Sara--continue to impress with their intuitive instrumental interplay and lush vocal harmonies. Sean Watkins's title cut achieves the sprightliest blend of traditional bluegrass instrumentation and contemporary pop craft, while the ruminative melancholy of "Hanging by a Thread" and "Green and Gray" sound as though Thile has been listening to a lot of Elliott Smith (and reading the published poetry of Jewel). The album also features Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger," Carrie Newcomer's "Should've Known Better," and a traditional British ballad, "House Carpenter." However, much of the collection's original material lacks the maturity to match the trio's musical gifts, as songs incorporating influences ranging from neo-psychedelia to alt pop often suffer from self-consciousness. Kindred-spirit producer Alison Krauss plainly gave the project a long leash, and the results can be viewed as either sophomore slump or creative growth spurt--or perhaps both. --Don McLeese Amazon.com

 This Side
I was introduced to Nickel Creek a little under a year now and I love this album! A wonderful mix of instrumental music and unique vocals. It is a shame the group broke up (egomania) but when I introduce new people to this group I use this cd. February 8, 2008

 grows
At first I found this below the par of the groups' 2000 debut, but I have grown to enjoy it just as much. Somehow every time I put it in the songs sounded just a little bit better. It's like a joke that you have to "get" first. April 13, 2007

 Not so good...
I bought this album because i loved their self titled debut. Unfortunately, it really is nothing like their first album. There is only a hint of bluegrass sound, Chris Thile's vocals are straying into an alt-pop sound, and frankly, many of the lyrics are painfully insipid. Too bad, their first album was (and still is) one of my favorites. If you liked Nickel Creek (the album) for it's unique sound, don't buy this one. January 29, 2007

 Suffering From Sophomore Slump, But Still Worthwhile Music From a Fine Young Bluegrass/Country/Folk Band
I tend to agree with Amazon.com's resident music critic that this album may be a classic example of sophomore slump for Nickel Creek. Nonetheless, it is an essential purchase for Nickel Creek fans and others interested in their music. Artistically, this album isn't nearly as impressive as the band's first, or the one which would follow. But I have to give this splendid group of young musicians ample credit for trying to push their musical envelope, metaphorically speaking, opting for a more pop/alt country sound on this album than in their self entitled critically acclaimed debut which was also produced by legendary country fiddler Alison Krauss. However, their songwriting abilities haven't quite risen sufficiently to compare favorably with their splendid musicianship, which reminds me more of an elite classical music ensemble such as the Ensemble Wien or Emerson String Quartet. All three were making tremendous strides in their playing; for example, whether it was Chris Thile's elegant mastery of the mandolin or Sara Watkins's virtuoso playing of the violin (On this album she clearly demonstrates that she's a violinist worthy of note, with brilliant, rhapsodic playing of the kind I've appreciated hearing from my erstwhile friend - and fellow Brunonian –[…]. Without a doubt, Nickel Creek is one of our finest bluegrass/country/folk bands, worthy of comparison to the great bands from Tucson, AZ like The Mollys, Calexico, and Giant Sand, and artistically light years ahead of any Brooklyn, NY-based country/folk band, with the possible exception of the Wingdale Community Singers. January 6, 2007

 A Good Accidental Find
I bought this CD without a cover at a Pawn Shop thinking it was a 2002 Train CD (their crown symbols are similar)- when I put it in, I realized right away that it was not - but I wasn't disappointed. This is a very well crafted set of songs that are soothing and acoustically woven. I like this better than what I thought I was buying. I see reviews below where people didn't like this because it wasn't Bluegrass - thank God, I would have died.
This is a group of true musicians and if they take a turn, I'll say what I always say - let the band be true to themselves and find or experiment with their sound.
While definitley not Bluegrass on this set, there are some GREAT tunes here. There is plenty of Bluegrass and Country out there - this is something different, more folk inspired and I like it a lot. The beauty of Amazon is that you can listen before you buy - so give it a chance! :-) December 22, 2006

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