Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die

Pros

• "Jealous of the Moon"
• "Somebody More Like You"
• "Scotch & Chocolate"

Cons

• I wish Sara would have been able to sing more solo songs.

Description

• Nickel Creek's third major-label release.
• Produced by Eric Valentine and Tony Berg.
• Thirteen out of fourteen tracks written or co-written by group members.

Guide Review - Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die

With each new Nickel Creek release, I marvel at the fact that Sara, Chris, & Sean can come up with such new & innovative music. Though the lyrics found on 'Why Must The Fire Die?' are rather dark, the music is beautiful & something anyone can appreciate. There is no shortage of interesting instrumentals: "Scotch & Chocolate," "Stumptown," & "First & Last Waltz" all fit in nicely with the album's other songs.

First single, "When In Rome" is also the first track, while Sean takes a turn singing his only solo song: "Somebody More Like You." It's wonderfully written & is about a broken relationship that must be his fault because she didn't apologize. He wishes her well & hopes that she finds someone who is her height so they can see eye to eye. "Jealous of the Moon" is a story about a woman who used to be very strong & how she is now hiding her scared feelings & sadness. It is told from the perspective of a close friend.

Sara sings the Bob Dylan tune, "Tomorrow is a Long Time," & sounds (purposely) naive through lyrics like "Yes & only if he was lyin' by me would I lie in my bed once again." Sara also sings, "Anthony." The sound is something out of the twenties or thirties as most of the vocals are done through one speaker. Chris Thile's song, "Helena," starts out with him being rather sad about her leaving, but those sad feeling quickly change. At the end, he winds up saying that guys like him never sleep alone & he doesn't need any sympathy from her.