Celebrants

Nickel Creek

Tracklist

Celebrants
Strangers
Water Under The Bridge, Part 1
The Meadow
Thinnest Wall
Going Out...
Holding Pattern
Where The Long Line Leads
Goddamned Saint
Stone's Throw
Goddamned Saint, Reprise
From The Beach
To The Airport
...Despite The Weather
Hollywood Ending
New Blood
Water Under The Bridge, Part 2
Failure Isn't Forever

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Mar. 10, 2024

This album is like a big, warm, acoustic embrace for the soul. The lyricism exhibits a mastery of musical poetry. Plenty of times I found myself shaking my head in amazement and disbelief, totally floored by how the lyrics were able to tell a story without saying it out loud. Maybe it's a result of the stage I'm at in my life, but the implicit meanings in 'Strangers' and 'Like a Goddamned Saint' hit me like a ton of bricks. On top of all that, Chris Thile is singing and playing the mandolin, and if you don't know about Chris Thile, then just look him up on youtube and thank me later.

There's no fancy tricks on this album, just pure musicianship and songwriting at its best. For me, this is an album best experienced from start to finish, ideally amidst the wintry serenity of a secluded cabin, a crackling fireplace, and snow-clad landscape.

Taken directly from the album's wiki page:

"This is a record about embracing the friction inherent in real human connection. We begin the record yearning for and pursuing harmonious connection. We end the record having realized that truly harmonious connection can only be achieved through the dissonance that we’ve spent our entire adult lives trying to avoid."

— Nickel Creek on the meaning of the album