Just Over in Heaven, and: Nickel Creek (review)

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Just Over in Heaven Sugar Hill, 2000 cd 3911, $16.97

Nickel Creek Nickel Creek Sugar Hill, 2000 cd 3909, $16.97

Sugar Hill puts out one outstanding bluegrass release after another, and with these two it demonstrates an ability to produce established artists and to constantly find new ones.

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver is peerless in the field of bluegrass gospel, and Just Over in Heaven lives up to the group's considerable reputation. Whether in a capella or instrumental arrangements, the harmonies are innovative and frequently bring a smile, but they never overwhelm the lyrical message. "The Right Hand of Fellowship," "Gonna Row My Boat," and "I Am Glad" remind us that the album is not merely a display of musical virtuosity but a joyous and grateful testament to their religious faith.

Nickel Creek's self-titled first release heralds the arrival of a bluegrass band exploring and expanding the genre's possibilities. "Ode to a Butterfly," the album's first cut, seeks to establish each member's considerable instrumental mastery before moving off into areas influenced by pop, Celtic, and other roots or acoustic forms. Produced by Alison Krauss, the vocals and instrumental work display a smooth, sometimes ethereal quality and avoid the rough-and-tumble of traditionalist bluegrass. For those looking for bright, new, and innovative talent, this Grammy-nominated first album will undoubtedly satisfy.

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