Thile in The Washington Post

[earendil]

The Washington Post had a short piece about Chris Thile’s new CD, in it’s weekend edition. Read it online www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101200375.html (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101200375.html)

[Meghan Narser]

I didn't like whoever wrote the review, I'm an American kid, I've hung out in parking lots and discussed Howard Shore and his great scores.
So Geoffrey Himes should consider that not everyone likes cheap lyrics and songs that need to be blasted so you can't hear anything but the bass. And that gasp not everyone who doesn't fit his idea of the American Kid is over forty.

[earendil]

Originally posted by Meghan Narser
I didn't like whoever wrote the review, I'm an American kid, I've hung out in parking lots and discussed Howard Shore and his great scores.
So Geoffrey Himes should consider that not everyone likes cheap lyrics and songs that need to be blasted so you can't hear anything but the bass. And that gasp not everyone who doesn't fit his idea of the American Kid is over forty. I had a completely different take. It's not a review, but an article in the weekend entertainment guide prior to his show on Oct 19 at the Birchmere. I re-read it just now, and I could still be wrong, but I thought the article was positive, with only a couple of playful jabs like 'making quaint music for the elves of Middle Earth', which is then followed by a compliment, the part you referenced above. Is it possible you might have taken the last half of the last sentence out of context? Or am I missing something entirely? I wonder what other board folks will say about it.


The last paragraph:
These are terrific songs, and their rhythmic and narrative thrust focuses the leader's talents as never before. The dazzling picking of Thile, banjoist Noam Pikelny and fiddler Gabe Witcher is especially obvious on the five instrumentals, but the vocal tracks put the virtuosity at the service of compelling storytelling. Only occasionally does Thile lapse into his old habit of making quaint music for the elves of Middle Earth; more often he's making urgent music for American kids hanging out in the parking lot of the local convenience store.

[Meghan Narser]

<I>he has too often squandered those assets on unfocused, overly precious songwriting </I>

That was what had my heckles up for very near the beginning, I was a little too harsh, I admit lol, not been having a good time lately.

Geh, I should wait an hour before posting something it would result in more thought out ideas