CD Review

Don’t be surprised by the pairing of Nickel Creek (Sara and Sean Watkins, Chris Thile) and Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket)—they’ve been recording under the name “Mutual Admiration Society” for a while now. Back in 2000, the four musicians, with the help of session players Jen Condos and Richard Causon and producer Ethan Johns, started laying down tracks for an album that has just now seen the light of day. And while I bet that they would have preferred an earlier release for their collection of songs, the majority of their efforts were worth the wait.

If you’ve seen Nickel Creek or Phillips play a show in the last few years, you’re bound to have heard some of the tunes on this self-titled album. Produced, recorded, and mixed by Johns (Ryan Adams, Leona Naess) in a mere six days, Mutual Admiration Society is a creative, yet modest piece of work. Johns brings with him his knack for producing a soft, poppy sound that mostly goes well the creativeness and musicianship that is able to carry songs like “Somewhere Out There,” “Be Careful,” and a jolly version of Harry Nilsson’s “Think About Your Troubles.” However, I’m not so sure enough time was taken to capture the beauty that is hiding behind some of the other tunes, namely “La Lune,” and the opening track, “Comes a Time.” Both songs have great potential, but their final results seem to mix out the beautiful harmonies that beg to be set free, exposing some of Johns’ flaws as a producer/recorder/mixer.

Overall, I still think Johns and this album come out on top. Despite some of its shortcomings, Mutual Admiration Society nicely showcases Phillips vocals and expands his artistry, while also proving once again that Chris Thile is one of the best mandolin players around. Count me in as an admirer.