Last week, you did not get any cMusicMail, because I was gone helping out a
youth camp. We came back in full force this week, with some great new
releases, more fresh reviews than we can pack into a weekly e-mail, and
other major excitement. So, read on and enjoy!

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THIS SIDE - NICKEL CREEK (2002)
by Rick Foux

Imagine you are in the midst of a revival. You are one among a cozy throng
of nearly two hundred individuals with hearts and hands lifted, praising
God. The only lights in the venue are dimly lit stage lamps, and the worship
is so sincere and intense that you feel goose bumps. Just as you begin to
belt out the chorus to your favorite worship song of all time, the band
abruptly stops. The venue's lights all reappear, blinding the worshipers,
and a man on stage announces that the revival is over and it's time to go
home. Kind of kills the spirit of things, doesn't it?

The bluegrass revival of 2000 ended much in the same way. Thanks to albums
like the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and Nickel's Creek's
eponymous debut, bluegrass was on its way to becoming cool again. Now signs
show that the revival might have been over before it started. Nickel Creek's
second release, This Side, is evidence, as the band has drastically cut ties
with their roots and taken a more folksy approach to their music. Not that
it doesn't work, mind you. Several tracks from the disc will undoubtedly
become hits. "Spit on a Stranger" for example, seeps with British influence
combined with a lightly strummed guitar melody. Chris Thile's vocals have
vastly improved, and he hits all of the high notes with relative ease.
"Hanging By a Thread" is the gentle ballad of the record with its "When
you're here I'm fine, when you're gone I'm not" message, and "I Should've
Known Better" is an interesting mix of country and blues. Sara Watkins takes
lead vocals on this one, proving that she can adapt to nearly any style of
music and still shine all the way through it. Without a doubt, though, "This
Side" holds the position of best track on the disc. It's one of the first
songs where Sean Watkins sings lead, but all three Nickel Creek members
harmonize perfectly during the chorus. The lyrics describe a person who is
making a change in their lives. While at first it is uncomfortable, this
person becomes more familiar and accustomed to the change until he/she
embraces it and refuses to go back to their old way of living. Peppy
showings from Thile's mandolin and Sean Watkins's guitar serve to heighten
the emotions from the lyrics.

Although few and far between, remnants of Nickel Creek's bluegrass style
pepper the album's thirteen tracks. "Smoothie Song," the only instrumental,
borrows elements from their first album, with the exception of the banjo. In
fact, the banjo is largely absent from This Side, a regretful flaw. Instead,
"Smoothie Song" relies on the bouzouki and Sara's violin to produce a very
articulate groove. "House Carpenter," one of Nickel Creek's many story
songs, is almost totally guitar dominated, and is a bleak, emotionless tale
of forsaken love. It's the lack of emotion that makes this an incredible
tune; most listeners will have to fight to avoid becoming teary-eyed.

For the most part, This Side is another impressive showing of the trio's
talent. Unfortunately, the record lacks a few essential elements found on
the first album that listeners will miss. As mentioned earlier, Nickel
Creek's lovable bluegrass style is largely absent and only makes a showing
in a couple of tracks. Secondly, several tracks fall short of making any
kind of impression. "Seven Wonders" contains only vague enthusiasm, the
harmonies on "Beauty and the Mess" seem sloppy and disorganized, and while
Chris Thile's vocal chords stretch themselves on "Young," it's probably the
least impressive musically of the entire album. In fact, Alison Krauss seems
to have suspiciously twisted the production to mimic most of her own songs.
This Side also features little to no spiritual content, containing only one
reference to God as "The Great I Am" during "Seven Wonders." Finally, not
really a complaint but more of a warning for the language-conscientious, two
instances of the word "Hell" appear on the album. They are both used
non-offensively though, and only the strictest of listeners will find this a
problem.

Despite a few scuffs, This Side still stands out as a worthy follow up to
Nickel Creek's debut. The triple threat of Watkins, Watkins, and Thile has
once again proved their talent and artistry without all the bells and
whistles. We only implore one thing: bring back the bluegrass. The
self-titled Nickel Creek release showed us what they are truly capable of,
and we want it back.

Read more about Nickel Creek at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/pop/nickelcreek


WIN CREATION STUFF
More winners will be chosen for the Creation Festival giveaway this week, so
check your e-mail often to find an e-mail from us! You can win Creation
Videos or the Creation Worships disc.

Congrats to Karen from Pennsylvania for receiving a Creation Video!


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

THE KISS - TRIN-I-TEE 5:7
Trin-I-Tee 5:7 was one of the first R&B/Gospel girl groups of the new
millennium, before Mary Mary and the numerous copy cats. Expect this to be
filled with more Top 40 friendly grooves that will fly off the shelves for
this PICK OF THE WEEK.

TRUST - JUSTIN McROBERTS
After a couple years on a small Christian label, Justin McRoberts is back in
the independent scene with his well-known folk style and heart-baring
lyrics. Although he's not one of the most well known, McRoberts has shown he
has staying power in Christian folk.

VHS/DVD: LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
If this were a CD, it would be pick of the month, or maybe the year. But, as
it stands, this amazing adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein's adaptation is worth
mentioning anywhere August 6 is found. The gem for the real fans is the
10-minute behind the scenes of The Two Towers, coming December 18th!


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, AUGUST 13 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

ALL ABOUT JESUS - CHARMAINE
Some of the songs she herself, and some are worship favorites. This backup
singer for Rebecca St. James brings the sounds of her mentor and Natalie
LaRue to mind. Unfortunately, nothing puts this album apart from similar
releases such as St. James' Worship God disc.

ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD - JUMP5
No doubt, there is some improvement in their sophomore release, even though
there is not much room to improve on the teen pop style. Well, at least we
know these kids can jump around.

THE ART OF TRANSLATION - GRITS
After three years of waiting, this is no doubt the PICK OF THE WEEK. The
real trendsetters in Christian hip-hop are back with the most modern grooves
available. There's nothing recycled here, just brand new GRITS.

DRAW ME CLOSE - VINEYARD
We all know the world does not need more worship samplers, but this one may
be the exception. This collection of the "Top 25 Vineyard Worship Songs,"
there are only a couple that I do not know and cherish. Nothing new, but a
great collection of Vineyard music for the uninitiated.

SING - AARON SPIRO
A new artist on Sparrow Records, Mr. Spiro delivers something between
worship and adult contemporary, for a sound the definitely fits on the
Sparrow roster.

THIS SIDE - NICKEL CREEK
See review above.

WHATEVER THE WEATHER - RILEY ARMSTRONG
Probably best known for his quirky song "Sleep," Riley is back again with
more quirky yet folksy tunes to enjoy.


THE LATEST NEWS HEADLINES
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- "...Turn the Lights Off, Carry Me Home."
- Pure Pop Campaign Delivers More Cheese to the Market
- Raphi Scores Hits on MTV2
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- Ozzy Back On Tour Soon
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- Jake Still in Business
- And more!

View all the latest stories on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/


OTHER NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM
Review: Signs
http://cMusicWeb.com/movies/signs

Review: The Land of Misfits - Joy Electric
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/radiohead/imightbewrong.shtml

Review: Grammatical Revolution - GRITS
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/grits/grammaticalrevolution.shtml

Review: I Might Be Wrong - Radiohead
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/radiohead/imightbewrong.shtml

Review: Villa Elaine - Remy Zero
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/remyzero/villaelaine.shtml


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
even more great content. If you have any comments or questions, please reply
to this e-mail or send them to webmaster@... We'd love to hear
from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb