|
Take former Toad the Wet Sprocket front man Glen Phillips and put
acoustic/bluegrass powerhouse Nickel Creek as his backing band, and what do you
get? In this case, you get Mutual Admiration Society, and for the most part you
get a stripped-down version of Toad. Phillips’ voice will forever make that
association. But this self-titled project goes beyond that, because after all,
Nickel Creek is legendary within its own genre. Hence the idea for the project,
and the, ahem, mutual admiration.
Phillips has penned all the songs here, and in fact has taken two Toad songs –
“Comes A Time” and, one of my all-time favorite tunes, “Windmills” – and given
them a less produced feel that lets the songs breathe. “Sake of the World,”
along with fiddles and mandolins, has catchy melodies that bring to mind one of
Phillips’ peers from down under, Neil Finn. As with much of Phillips’ earlier
solo work, some of these songs tend to run into each other, but it doesn’t deter
from the fact that he’s such a brilliant singer and songwriter. “Trouble” is
another standout track here.
Sometimes people make records together, and coming from different musical
backgrounds create magic they wouldn’t otherwise be able to generate on their
own.
While Comes a Time does have its moments, it’s not like Phillips or Nickel Creek
should quit their respective day jobs. This is a really good record, made by a
great songwriter with some stellar musicians, but it still falls short of being
anything special.
~Mike Farley
mfarley@bullz-eye.com
|
 |
|
