Finger-pickin' Good.

Thinking of Chris Thile, the word that most pops into my head is probably "wow" followed closely by "inspiration." His rap list is not brief: Mandolin prodigy at 12, the backbone of Nickel Creek, played every instrument on Deceiver (one of my top 20 favorite albums) with amazing result. I'm of the opinion that he can pretty much do anything he wants, both vocally and instrumentally, something very few people can say. His recent album is a throwback to old school bluegrass roots with some modern twists. For instance, covers of The White Stripes ("Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground") and The Strokes ("Heart in a Cage") mixed in with a motley of instrumentals and 8 part bluegrass harmonies. He sticks mostly with the mandolin on this one, a far cry from the previous album, but the spice added by the other musicians makes something fresh and so clean clean.

Listen:
The Wrong Idea [from Deceiver|buy]
How to Grow a Woman from the Ground and Heart in a Cage [from How to Grow a Woman from the Ground|buy]