What makes This Side by Nickel Creek notable?

Upon its release, This Side debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart and received critical acclaim for its innovative approach to bluegrass. The album helped solidify Nickel Creek's position in the progressive bluegrass scene, influencing a wave of artists who followed their genre-blending style. This Side is Nickel Creek's self-titled album, marking their first release after a significant hiatus since their 1997 debut. By 2002, the trio had matured musically, moving from their early roots to embrace a more polished sound that included elements of pop and rock.

How many songs are on This Side?

This Side has 13 tracks, running approximately 50 minutes.

This Side

Nickel Creek · 2002

50 min · 13 tracks · country music

A fusion of intricate bluegrass instrumentation and contemporary songwriting, blending traditional roots with modern storytelling.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Smoothie Song — With its playful lyrics and upbeat tempo, this track encapsulates the band's signature blend of humor and musicality, setting a lively tone for the album.
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This Side — The title track showcases the group's harmonious vocals and intricate instrumental interplay, highlighting their technical prowess while delivering poignant lyrics about perspective.
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House Carpenter — This rendition of a traditional folk song demonstrates Nickel Creek's ability to reinterpret classic material with fresh arrangements while maintaining emotional depth.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

58 /100

Treeline

Higher than 49% of albums we've rated

This Side blends bluegrass roots with modern elements, showcasing strong musicianship but with some uneven pacing.

Composition 25% of the score: 7/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 6/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 5/10

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

1 Smoothie Song 3:20
2 Spit on a Stranger 2:34
3 Speak 4:01
4 Hanging by a Thread 4:06
5 I Should’ve Known Better 4:27
6 This Side 3:33
7 Green and Gray 3:36
8 Seven Wonders 4:10
9 House Carpenter 5:30
10 Beauty and the Mess 2:52
11 Sabra Girl 4:04
12 Young 3:29
13 Brand New Sidewalk 4:16

What to play next

Listen next

Why Should the Fire Die?

2005

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Nickel Creek

2000

Full Nickel Creek discography Artists like Nickel Creek

bluegrass music

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata