A Dotted Line
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| A Dotted Line | ||||
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| Studio album by Nickel Creek | ||||
| Released | April 1, 2014 | |||
| Genre | Progressive bluegrass | |||
| Label | Nonesuch Records | |||
| Producer | Eric Valentine | |||
| Nickel Creek chronology | ||||
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A Dotted Line is the fourth major album release and sixth studio album overall by progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. Produced by Eric Valentine, the album was released on Nonesuch Records on April 1, 2014 in the United States.[1]
A Dotted Line is the first Nickel Creek album since the band's hiatus following their 2007 Farewell (For Now) Tour. The release coincided with the trio's 25th anniversary. A subsequent tour will also begin in April.[2]
Tracks include initial singles "Destination" and "Love of Mine,” as well as two covers: Sam Phillips’ “Where Is Love Now” and Mother Mother’s “Hayloft.”[1]
Contents
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 82/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The A.V. Club | B+[4] |
| About.com |   [5] |
| AllMusic |  [6] |
| The Oakland Press | [7] |
| Paste | 8.2/10[8] |
| PopMatters |   [9] |
| USA Today | [10] |
A Dotted Line garnered critical acclaim by music critics. At Metacritic, they assign a "weighted average" rating called a Metascore to albums based upon the ratings and reviews by selected independent publications, and the album's score is an 82 out of 100, which means the album received "universal acclaim".[3] At Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, stating that even "If there isn't much spark, there is a surplus of warmth; the trio is comfortable and relaxed, and it's hard not to succumb to such friendly, familiar vibes."[6] Brian Mansfield of USA Today rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of four stars, writing how on the release the trio "stretch pop parameters with imaginative arrangements."[10] At The Oakland Press, Gary Graff rated the album three-and-a-half out of four stars, saying that the release is "a welcome return from a hiatus well-spent."[7] About.com's Kim Ruehl rated the album four-and-a-half stars out of five, stating that on the release the trio did "no harm in exploring" musical territory as they seek to "push the evolution of music by starting with tradition and taking it somewhere some folks may say it has no business going."[5]
At Paste, Holly Gleason rated the album and eight point two out of ten, writing that the release is "Not merely a product of maturity, Nickel Creek has grown without losing its palpable joy or wondrous ability to make musicianship as accessible as the engaging way their voices draw listeners to them."[8] Brice Ezell rated the album eight out of ten discs, stating that the release "is a work of supreme songcraft; one might call it a 'return to form', but from the sound of it, the form was never gone in the first place."[9] At The A.V. Club, Genevieve Koski graded the album a B+, saying how the release is "a ready-made best-of album, superb in execution but light on surprises".[4] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe gave a positive review of the album, remarking how the release "is a vibrant reminder of Nickel Creek’s youthful promise and proof that it has plenty left to say."[11] At Relix, Kiran Herbert gave a positive review, observing that "there's not a song on the album that falls short."[12]
Track listing
All tracks written by Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins unless noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rest of My Life" | 3:40 | |
| 2. | "Destination" | 3:51 | |
| 3. | "Elsie" | Chris Thile | 2:33 |
| 4. | "Christmas Eve" | 4:23 | |
| 5. | "Hayloft" | Ryan Guldemond | 3:18 |
| 6. | "21st of May" | Sean Watkins | 2:47 |
| 7. | "Love of Mine" | 4:42 | |
| 8. | "Elephant in the Corn" | 5:10 | |
| 9. | "You Don't Know What's Going On" | 2:50 | |
| 10. | "Where Is Love Now" | Sam Phillips | 4:42 |
Personnel
- Chris Thile - Bouzouki, Mandolin, Vocals
- Sara Watkins - Fiddle, Vocals
- Sean Watkins - Guitar, Vocals
Additional musicians:
- Mark Schatz - Bass
- Edgar Meyer - Bowed Bass
- Matt Chamberlain - Percussion
- Eric Valentine - Percussion
Production
- Eric Valentine - Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Mastering
- Cian Riordan - Engineer
- Justin Long - Studio Assistant
Charts
The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 with 27,000 copies sold in its first week in the US.[13] As of May 2014, the album has sold 47,000 copies in the US.[14]
| Charts (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[15] | 32 |
| US Billboard 200[16] | 7 |
| US Top Bluegrass Albums (Billboard)[17] | 1 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard)[18] | 1 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Nonesuch Releases First Nickel Creek Album in Nine Years, "A Dotted Line," April 1". Nonesuch Records. February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ↑ Varga, George. "Nickel Creek adds reunion concert here". U-T San Diego. February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2014. 14. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ↑ "Nickel Creek – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Nickel Creek.
- ↑ "Nickel Creek – Chart history" Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums for Nickel Creek.
- ↑ "Nickel Creek – Chart history" Billboard Folk Albums for Nickel Creek.
Clean Slate Music - Album review - http://cleanslatemusic.org/2014/02/23/album-review-nickel-creek-a-dotted-line-nonesuch-records/
Allmusic - A Dotted Line - Nickel Creek - http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-dotted-line-mw0002629075/credits
External links
- A Dotted Line at Nickel Creek's official website, with sound samples and video
