Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
70
AFI
65
Air
71
Alice In Chains
77
Amerie
85
The Antlers
75
Arctic Monkeys
68
As Tall As Lions
82
Atlas Sound
75
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
56
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
72
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan
72
Brendan Benson
72
The Big Pink
96
Big Star
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
51
Black Mold
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
77
A.A. Bondy
73
The Bottle Rockets
63
Box Elders
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
87
Brother Ali
70
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
78
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
79
Califone
68
Mariah Carey
84
Brandi Carlile
73
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash
69
Castanets
65
The Cave Singers
84
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
79
Vic Chesnutt
75
Choir Of Young Believers
81
Circulatory System
68
The Clean
84
The Clientele
71
Cobra Starship
85
Converge
71
Eric Copeland
80
Cymbals Eat Guitars
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
88
Destroyer
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
66
Bob Dylan
44
The Entrance Band
67
Esser
69
Fanfarlo
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
78
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
77
Joe Henry
66
Hockey
69
Whitney Houston
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
73
Jessie James
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
69
Daniel Johnston
76
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
65
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
76
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
84
Miranda Lambert
72
Ledisi
75
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt
73
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
73
Lyle Lovett
66
Lovvers
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna
85
Manic Street Preachers
62
Maps
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
67
Reba McEntire
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
77
Malcolm Middleton
77
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
76
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
62
Morrissey
85
Mount Eerie
78
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
78
Nirvana
97
Nirvana
72
Nisennenmondai
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
73
Osso
81
Owen
76
Paramore
76
Pastels And Tenniscoats
51
Sean Paul
80
Pearl Jam
66
Jemina Pearl
72
Jack Penate
65
Phish
82
Pissed Jeans
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
66
Robert Pollard
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
80
Q-Tip
80
R.E.M.
89
Raekwon
69
Rain Machine
70
Ramona Falls
75
Dizzee Rascal
75
The Raveonettes
76
Jay Reatard
82
Reigning Sound
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
79
Russian Circles
69
Buffy Sainte-Marie
73
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
69
Slaughterhouse
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
62
Mindy Smith
78
Soulsavers
77
Speech Debelle
58
Spiral Stairs
58
Squarepusher
55
Steel Panther
73
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
65
Joss Stone
75
George Strait
83
Barbra Streisand
76
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
78
The Swell Season
76
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees
78
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants
67
Third Eye Blind
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
71
The Twilight Sad
58
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
70
Various Artists
74
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
71
Kurt Vile
67
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
76
Rufus Wainwright
59
Weezer
80
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
59
Andrew W.K.
71
Patrick Wolf
67
Wolfmother
84
The xx
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
51
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Why Should The Fire Die?
Universal acclaim
Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 24 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Sugar Hill
Release Date: 09 August 2005
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Bluegrass, Country
Summary
Tony Berg and Eric Valentine produced this follow-up to 2002's Grammy-winning "This Side."
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Mojo
Throws out the genre manual and leaves every cell, body and soul, buzzing. [Dec 2005, p.100]
Entertainment Weekly
Steeped in tradition... but also flirts with pop immediacy. [19 Aug 2005, p.144]
All Music Guide
Why Should the Fire Die? is a brave album that warrants more than a passing glance from country and bluegrass purists, and the full support of the indie rock/folk/pop community.
Read Full Review >Slant Magazine
While their lyrics do tell compelling stories, Nickel Creek's selling point remains their technical gifts and, again, Why Should The Fire Die? showcases a phenomenal learning curve.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
With any luck (and some marketing muscle), this excellent album will find the Dashboard Confessional fans it deserves.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
Why Should the Fire Die? may see Nickel Creek turn further away than ever from CMT’s trappings, but it also shows the band reaching to eclipse its more generic pop-rock reference points as well.
Read Full Review >Amazon.com
Why Should the Fire Die? is certainly the trio's boldest and most creative album, albeit one that might not appeal to their earliest fans.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
What will grab you first about the band this time out is their singing. The trio has always sung in gorgeously arrayed harmonies, but Why Should the Fire Die? utilizes sung harmony in striking ways.
Read Full Review >Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
Like most schmoograssers they're committed to virtuosity for its own sake, and like most young musos they've been too focused on technique to learn much about how music interacts with life.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jeff W. gave it a10:
After a couple years of listening, Why Should the Fire Die still intrigues and engages me every time I hear it. I listen to all types of music (from Buck 65 to Beatles), and I would recommend it to anyone who will give it a serious listen.
Lauren O gave it a10:
Nickel Creek really comes into their own on this record. They are truly original. One of the things I've always loved most about them is the conviction in their voices.
Arjun J gave it a9:
Incredibly creative. As good as this is, the best is yet to come.
Marsh F gave it a10:
This album is one of the best ever. Dont listen to village voice, they dont know what they are talking about. NC is not what they say. Sure the album is different than nickel creek's eirlier work, like "Cowpoke", but they were only kids then! There are so many great things on this album, like the songs "When in Rome", which is such an amazing track, "Jealous of the Moon" has one of the most beautiful riffs at the beginning of the song. "Eveline" has such haunting lyrics and a droning melody. My favorite track, "Helena" is one of NC's best tracks ever, the building of that song is great. And the amazing "Douting Thomas" shows nickel creeks christian side, as chris sings those amazing words. And the title track is so incredible, it cant be put in words. Of course there are down points, like "Cant Complain", which kinda is no good, lyrics just dont work, but even if this album was just one song with "Helena", it would still be a 10, its so good. So be quiet Toby Keith, you cant grade an album 0 for buying the wrong album. This CD rocks, and you all know it. So go home, throw your old nickelback CD's away. Smash those Pharrel albums with a hammer. Delete your Green day crap from iTunes. AND GET THIS CD!
Casey gave it a10:
Incredible effort by amazing musicians. The trio explores deeper themes than their previous releases, and the risk paid off.
Doug O gave it a10:
Best album of 2005, easily!
Mack gave it a10:
This album is amazing. Yes, it does signal a change from the last time out, but those who cannot handle the subtle (and not so subtle) changes (such as Terry W below) are being far too stodgy and close-minded. This trio is displaying incredible growth and diversity with this recording and their move away from the 'traditions' of bluegrass is nothing but a (successful) attempt to overcome the restrictive constraints that their genre places on them anyway. They're an amazing group with remarkable talent, and we're lucky to have such a genuinely great band around today in a world full of talentless and vapid corporate music.
