Latest releases reviewed

NICKEL CREEK Why Should the Fire Die? Sugar Hill Records ***

It seems ages since Nickel Creek's 2000 debut album shook the bluegrass world with its diverting mixture of traditional styles and contemporary attitude. Chris Thile and the Watkins siblings, Sean and Sara, seemed set for a long career, but their 2002 follow-up, This Side, asked more questions than it answered. The trio's remarkable instrumental flair remained, but songs such as the opening cover of Pavement's Spit on a Stranger and some game but flawed originals told a story of a band itching to stay out late. Roll on three years and Why Should the Fire Die? aims for the same mix - newgrass punctured indie singer-songwriter angst. The good news is that Thile and the Watkins are rapidly developing into a confident, ambitious band above and beyond the newgrass blueprint. Propulsive rhythms glistening with guitar, mandolin and fiddle flourishes vie with sensitive harmonies and pop sensibilities. The songs still don't flow as they should, but they are getting there. www.nickelcreek.com

Joe Breen

JOHN DOE Forever Hasn't Happened Yet Yep Roc ****

Don't be alarmed if the name John Doe doesn't mean anything to you. Perhaps you could ask your parents, because Doe has been hauling his guitar and lived-in voice around for a lot of summers since he first surfaced with cult LA punk band X in 1980. They didn't mean a lot over here, though in the US Doe became a minor cult figure. As X declined he took the roots highway for his solo career. This is the latest episode. It is tough and tender, snarling and sentimental, with songs that shake from memory fragments of childhood and wasted opportunity and parcel them in rootsy bluesy flavoured alt.rock. There are loads of references, but Doe's drive carries him over any hump. There are fine moments galore with a notable supporting cast, particularly Kristin Hersh on the fiery Ready, and Neko Case on the flying Hwy 5. www.johndoe.com

Joe Breen