Thistrio from California may look like another creation of the teeny-bop era, butwhen the hit makers of today have drifted away, Nickel Creek will still becreating melodic albums like "This Side." Chris Thile (mandolin,vocals), Sara Watkins (fiddle, vocals) and her brother Sean (guitar, vocals) areaccomplished bluegrass artists who have been on the scene since their earlyteens. Their unconventional use of traditional bluegrass instruments has donenothing short of revolutionize the music industry.

Nickel Creek was namedone of five music innovators of the millennium by Time magazine, and received twoGrammy nominations for their first album. "This Side" is sure not tofall short of such honors.

In an industry driven by money and power, it'srefreshing to see talented artists with such passion for what they do. "ThisSide" offers something for everyone. Nickel Creek is classified asbluegrass, but their vast range stretches from gospel to alternative, with lyricsthat speak a truth. The blend of violin, guitar and mandolin reaches out andtouches the soul. Calling them modern-day Mozarts isn't so far-fetched, and theepic tales told in several songs have been compared to the poetry of Paul Simonand other musical greats.