Matthew Ryan has one of the most unique singing voices I’ve ever heard.  Reminiscent of Tom Waits, it’s got a throaty, guttural quality that listeners immediately respond to.  Take it or leave it, it’s what sets Ryan apart from many of the other singer/songwriters on the indie music scene these days.

And as distinct as his voice is, the lyrics and messages contained within From a Late Night High-Rise separate him from the crowd even further.  Written after two tragedies in his life (the death of a close friend and the sentencing of his brother to 30 years in prison), Ryan draws from deep inside himself to create a CD that is personal and reflective while also being accessible and universal.   

From the haunting first notes of ‘Follow the Leader’ the mood of the CD is set… dark, reflective, and somber.  As the songs progress, Ryan provides an unflinching glimpse at his struggles.  Lyrics like “I’m looking for you / I’ve been haunted / By all that I can’t have” and “And I’ll do what I must / To kill your memory” illustrate his pain.  And watch out for ‘The Complete Family’… it might just bring a tear to your eye.  Yet, no matter how personal the stories might be, they are themes we can all relate to.  We’ve all experienced loss in one form or another so Ryan’s messages are familiar.

But it’s not all gloom and doom.  In the midst of these heady thoughts are upbeat and catchy hooks that take hold.  You might tap your foot along to ‘And Never Look Back’ or rock out to ‘Misundercould.’  But don’t let the brightness of those melodies fool you; the lyrics aren’t exactly sunny. 

I waited a long time to hear this CD and love it.  Phillips' vocals paired with the harmonies and instruments of Nickel Creek make for a multi-layered, emotional CD.  I'm excited to see the group on tour in August.  Hopefully the mutual admiration will lead to at least one more CD.

It’s always interesting to see a band evolve over several years.  When I first heard Nickel Creek’s self-titled CD release in 2000, they were primarily a bluegrass band.  By 2002’s This Side, the band had grown to include more complex arrangements and vocals; they were also pushing beyond the bluegrass genre, much to the dismay of some.  But the release of Why Should the Fire Die? shows just how much they have changed in five years.  With influences ranging from jazz to pop to rock to classical, Why Should the Fire Die? overflows with lyrical and instrumental highlights that extend beyond any individual genre.

It’s obvious from the first edgy notes on ‘When in Rome,’ that this Nickel Creek is a grown-up version of the one we came to love in 2000.  Chock full of minor chords, this track uses a bass and "stomps" as percussion instruments. When Thile’s lyrics are added, the end results are captivating.  The hard-hitting ‘Best of Luck’ is yet another step away from their bluegrass background.  With Sarah Watkins providing lead vocals, the track offers a glimpse into how hard Nickel Creek can rock.

Long gone are the songs of lighthouses and foxes.  In their place are tales of heartbreak, adultery, and sadness, as evidenced by Sean Watkins on ‘Somebody More Like You,’ “I hope you meet someone your height/so you can see eye to eye/with someone as small as you.”  The theme continues on ‘Can’t Complain,’ where Thile professes, “I cheated on her with a friend of mine/there are no days when we don’t fight/but remember that I warned her and I’m a guy/so she can’t complain.”

The tales of relationships gone wrong culminate on ‘Helena,’ in which Thile sings of a guy ending an affair. Sung from the man’s perspective, the track opens with a light-hearted mandolin trying to convince the woman (Helena) that this man’s heart is breaking because he feels he can’t leave his girlfriend.  As the tempo picks up and Helena realizes that he is just trying to keep her from telling his girlfriend of the affair, she begins to walk away.  It is then that Thile yells, “Go ahead and tell her anything you want/'cause Helena, guys like me never sleep alone at night."

This is the 7th full-length album from this Swedish sensation, born out of the pain of a romantic break-up and the death of his mom.  Not surprisingly, the lyrics are pretty damn solemn.  In ‘Wild White Horses,’ Dunger pleads with his listener, “So won't you please do this/Take away my sadness/Wipe away this blues in here, take it away.”  Dunger sings these sad, sad lyrics with a passionate voice that ranges from guttural to falsetto and sets him apart from his co-horts.

While there is an underlying current of melancholy throughout, the musical styles are all over the map – from pop (‘Hunger’) to jazz (‘Slaves We’re Together) to orchestral (‘Someone New,’ ‘Harp’s Coming In’).  It’s as if you were watching snippets from 11 different art-house movies. Individually, the songs are all very well crafted and intriguing.  However, as a collection of songs, the experience is a bit disconcerting.  This can probably be explained by Dunger’s collaboration with the experimental/psych rock band, Mercury Rev (acting as his backing band on this recording) known for their innovative song arrangements and penchant for chaos, both in their music and in their band’s line-up.

It seems like Dunger is the kind of artist that other musicians love to love, and want to work with.  For the casual music fan, it takes a bit more time to fully appreciate his talent

This is high energy, dance beat infused, modern pop music from a group of musicians who seem to be enjoying themselves a great deal.  Initially, Chicago – based OK Go made their name with their song, ‘Get Over It.’  Instead of simply repeating their success, the band spent the past three years working on their sophomore effort, rejecting over 60 songs in the process.  To ensure avoiding the sophomore slump that many modern bands suffer from, the band turned to producer, Tore Johansson who worked his power pop magic with Franz Ferdinand. Love it or hate it, Johansson knows how to channel a lot of energy into a 4-minute song.

Oh No is a combination of dance rhythms with post punk guitar beats.  While the first three songs are disappointingly similar, the rest of the album offers up some refreshing diversity.  Because of strong rhythmic music, the lyrics tend to get downplayed which is unfortunate since they are just as satisfying as ones by Fountains of Wayne or Weezer.  One of the best examples is on the song ‘Maybe, This Time,’ “In the valley of intent and deed, you must have mastered this, the fragile art of a good excuse, the little things that get you to believe.”  But, the message that ‘Oh No’ leaves with the listener is just how fun modern music can be.  Do yourself a favor and watch the band’s video for their first single, ‘A Million Ways.’  I wouldn’t be too quick to challenge OK Go to a group band dance off!