Nickel Creek’s comeback album deserves a welcome as warm as it is. Dubbed A Dotted Line, the album marks a reunion between guitarist Sean Watkins, fiddler Sara Watkins and mandolinist Chris Thile. The trio had parted ways in 2007, each one honing their skills in other projects ranging from renowned indie-poppers The Decemberists to the rightfully acclaimed classical collective Goat Rodeo Sessions. If anything, A Dotted Line shows that the time away must’ve been incredibly refreshing for the trio.
The album kicks off with a forward-looking slow-burner called “Rest of My Life,” a song that flows from stop-go verses to harmony-driven choruses drawn together by power hungry chord riffs courtesy of Sean Watkins. Just as “Rest of My Life” comes to a close, the Sara Watkins-led “Destination” kicks in. The song, carried along by Thile’s mandolin, takes A Dotted Line and makes it soar. The track is alive with a moving melody, amplified by a gorgeously harmonized hook played over a fiery mandolin rhythm.
Even when the album slows down, it still feels as energetic and emotive as “Destination.” A Dotted Line dabbles in folk balladry with “Christmas Eve” and “21st of May,” both reflective songs that look back with more joy than regret. Nickel Creek lightens each song up with their respective virtuoso-like skills, playing the perfect notes at the right time to inject the tracks with their memorable glow.
One of the talents Nickel Creek made itself known for were their willingness to break out of the standard bluegrass tropes. Unfortunately, bluegrass doesn’t get thrown for too many loops on A Dotted Line. “You Don’t Know What’s Going On” is only one of two changeups, its rhythm coming from inner-city jazz halls rather than the Appalachian hillsides. The other, more striking deviation is a cover of Mother Mother’s “Hayloft,” a fast-paced prog-romp with a headbanger’s beat.
A Dotted Line marks a flashy return from bluegrass titans Nickel Creek. They weave spirited melodies and blazing fills in and out of rapid pace tempo changes that incite images of green fields and open skies. And even though A Dotted Line only casually flirts with bluegrass experimentation, even though they never cross that dotted line, Nickel Creek’s latest can’t help but put a smile on this listener’s face.
Rating: B+
