Mini-Reviewage

Nickel Creek, Why Should the Fire Die?

First impressions after about three listens:

Musically, there is a lot to like about this new album. All the elements that made past Nickel Creek releases good are still here(i.e., the mind boggling musicianship, arrangements, and vocal harmonies), but the sound on this record is a bit darker and rougher than what we've heard from them in the past. It's a bit of a shock at first, but I've grown to like it. Also, this album comes across as quite a bit more diverse than their past releases. One complaint I had about This Side was that a few of the slower songs tended to sound a bit "samey." While there are a few non-descript ballads on this album(though my perception of those may change with further listens), almost every song has its own distinct style and character to it.

On the lyrical side, we also see some change. The darker music is accompanied by suitably darker lyrics. However, many of the songs never rise above the level of your typical "relationship song," (or, as is often the case, "relationship goes wrong" song) which is unfortunate, since the music is so striking and original(keep in mind that I probably do tend to be overly cynical about "relationships songs." YMMV) . However, though the subject matter has been very well traveled, the lyrics are well written enough so as to make them an enjoyable, if not profound, set of songs. One thing I do miss on this album is the presence of a left-field modern rock cover, like their cover of Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger" from This Side, or their live cover of Radiohead's "Just." Something like this would have been a fun change of pace for the record, but the album still stands without it.

Overall, I would place this album in the B+/A- range, but we will see how that plays out once I have a chance to listen to it a bit more throughly.

Beck, Guero

This happens to me every year. There is always some album that I hear great things about from almost everyone, yet, for one reason or another, fail to actually get around to hearing. When I do hear it, I kick myself for depriving myself of the experience of listening to it for so long. Beck's latest release, Guero, is one such album. The only album of Beck's I had heard before this was Odelay, which mixes hip-hop, rock, and just about everything else to create a smooth, funky, and totally original album. Never before had I heard the "everything AND the kitchen sink" approach handled so gracefully.

Fortunately for the listener, Guero continues in this tradition, but this time around, Beck manages to add even more ingredients to his sound. This time, there are elements of pop music, with some slower ballad type songs, and lush arrangements to accompany them. Still, the album keeps the fresh, fun appeal that Odelay has, without sacrificing any weight in the more serious material. The only real criticism I might have is that Beck may be borrowing to much from his past work, but when the results sound as good as this, its hard to nitpick. A/A+, for sure.