Fiction Family Fiction Family

• When She's Near
• Out of Order
• Not Sure
• Betrayal
• Elements Combined
• War in My Blood
• Throw It Away
• Closer Than You Think
• Please Don't Call It Love
• Mostly
• We Ride
• Look for Me Baby

There are very few electric instruments and even fewer drums on this collaborative effort by Nickel Creek singer-guitarist Sean Watkins and Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman. What there’s lots of are acoustic guitars, mandolins and pensive songs about love (“When She’s Near”), life (“We Ride”) and lost love (almost everything else). Although acoustic, this doesn’t qualify as folk, but as acoustic rock, mixing the ballad style of Foreman’s band with the intimacy of Nickel Creek’s approach. Highlights: The jaunty closer “Look for Me, Baby” and the echoic, haunting “Throw It Away.” With Nickel Creek on (permanent?) hiatus, fans of that band should take heart hearing fiddler Sara Watkins (Sean’s sister) embellish a few tunes.

Abstract by Tony Sclafani