The term supergroup is often applied to
Nickel Creek, though it was the band's own rise in the early 2000s that transformed
Chris Thile,
Sara Watkins, and
Sean Watkins from progressive bluegrass upstarts into individual stars of the Americana world. The amount of talent between them has remained consistently stunning throughout their respective solo careers, collaborations, and side projects like
Punch Brothers and
Watkins Family Hour. After a lengthy hiatus, the trio's 2014 reunion yielded
A Dotted Line, which, while lacking some of the creative spark of their earlier releases, was still an engaging, big-hearted album. Another nine-year gap followed, albeit one peppered with various one-off shows, live streams, and the release of a 2021 concert album. In 2023,
Nickel Creek was back with
Celebrants, a rangy and satisfying return to form that is as inventive as anything in their catalog. Joined by bassist and producer
Mike Elizondo, the band is at turns dramatic, playful, introspective, and above all ambitious. Leading off the 18-track set is the title cut, an all-limbs-on-deck suite that moves between stomp/clamp sections, group singalongs, and the dynamic left turns that are
Nickel Creek's hallmark. There are a handful of straight-ahead barnburners too, like
Sara's "Where the Long Line Leads," but the bulk of the album showcases the band's more cerebral nature with lush, expansive songs full of detail and multitudinous expressions. "Going Outâ?¦" plays almost like a fantasy tale, its journey propelled forward by a mysterious force that suddenly falls into dissonance, then back again. "Goddamn Saint" is another highlight that almost feels like chamber pop that they reprise a few songs later. It's an emotional record too, wrought with themes of anxiety, aging, desperation, and most of all, love. Where their previous record resembled the cozy reunion that it was,
Celebrants is a more defining statement from veteran players whose chemistry remains undeniable. ~ Timothy Monger
