Customer Reviews

Deceiver

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I couldn't say it any better myself than Chris did in Acoustic Guitar Magazine's February issue: "My favorite records are the ones I have to really dig through before I feel acquainted with and happy with the experience. Our deepest listening experiences are when we're really familiar with something and yet still discovering. Like a great conversation with somebody you know inside and out but then you find something new about them. I wanted to make a record that would have interesting enough layers to dig that deep. And that's why the record's so short. I want people to put it back on and give it a chance, because there's a lot going on. I'd like to sit everyone who buys it down in my living room and walk them through the entire record, going, 'Yeah, I know that's weird, but here's why I think it's OK for it to be weird.'"

I know that at first when a lot of Chris Thile fans listen to the CD, they might feel a sense of shock. There are parts where Chris just rocks out HARD and people have to stop and take a double take: "What? Is that the same guy from Nickel Creek?" I am aware that some fans get so disoriented by this that they give the album a total thumbs down. I find that unfortunate, presumptuous, and judgemental.

Allow the album to be an onion to you. Trust me, it is definitely worth peeling away the layers. I know at first it may seem like you have no idea what he's trying to do, but if you sit down, read the lyrics, and listen to the songs -- you'll find that Chris' talents really do manifest in ways that are fresh, new, and different than any other artist you know. Chris has always been about paying respect to other genres in exchange for the creation of something completely his own.

But I beg you. Before you go around saying this is the worst thing you've heard, give it a fair chance. The lyrics for each of these songs are incredible, full of depth, and startlingly profound. I cannot believe Chris learned how to play ALL those instruments by himself and was able to compose music with sounds so cohesive, creative, and mind-boggling.

Acquaint yourselves with his songs and get to know them. Chris worked very hard for this album and I know it means a lot to him to have fans appreciate his work and to let him know that even though it's not the kind of stuff that would ever hit mainstream, he's still got the talent and the guts.

That's what I love about all these songs on this CD. They are so brutally honest, so exposing, and so brave. He just poured his entire soul into this, and it really paid off.

Give it a listen. I promise you'll learn to love every bit of it.

Let's be honest with ourselves. Those of us who have been really keeping up with Nickel Creek for the past 5 years werent really shocked by this album. Yes, I love Chris' instrumental/bluegrass work but that is now where he or the other members are at. They all listen to more Radiohead and Wilco than any bluegrass artists at the moment. The only things that the last Nickel Creek album had in common with bluegrass were the backer cards in the CD store. Perhaps he grew up in Bluegrass and is one of the most accomplished musicians of his time but like most young musicians of any caliber, you cannot depend on them to stay static.

Ok, some people think the songwriting on this album is sub-par...I am here as a musician to say that, although there are few "lightning fast" licks here, these arangements are amazing. Odd time signatures, unconventional keys, changes that most people could not dream up, much less play. No, these songs arent for the casual listener. You will not find any radio hits on here. You will only find a hint of his bluegrass chops here. What you will find is one of the best "indi-rock" albums in quite some time...

If you liked Nickel Creeks cover of Pavements "spit on a stranger" then give this a try. If you hated it, start looking for a new bluegrass idol because Chris has moved on...

And it's not Alison Krauss, either. It's a guy with more talent in his REM sleep than the rest of us on a heavy caffeine (or choose your own pharmaceutical reference) buzz.
I bought "Deceiver" at Barnes/Noble at the same time I bought a Merle Haggard box set ("Down Every Road"), so that might tell you a little of where I'm coming from on this. I adore the alleged classic songs of the masters, but I also appreciate the journeys they take along their careers.
"Deceiver" is one of the paths Chris Thile has chosen. Accept it for what it is. Don't assume that because you've bought and heard the previous Thile/Watkins/NC works, that this will be identical. In fact, if it were identical, it would be ripped for being the same stuff, and Thile would be ripped for lacking imagination.
Listen, this guy lives on a different planet than the rest of us. Don't assume that everything he does will be a extension of Bill Monroe or Ronnie McCoury or Sam Bush or David Grisman. He's above and beyond that calling.
Like a lot of the folks who have reviewed "Deceiver" here, I too had a little trouble making it through the CD the first few times. The first words I muttered were "experimental" and "self-indulgent." But so what. I muttered the same two words about Loretta Lynn's "Van Lear Rose" the first five times I heard that, too, and now, I've come to appreciate it as being reflective of who she is at this moment of her life.
Same with Thile. This is who he is now. Not the same guy he was at 16, and probably not the same guy he'll be at 37. And since those first few run-throughs of "Deceiver," I have heard the damn thing another 245,337 times (that approximate).
Is "Deceiver" experimental? Absolutely. But, by the same token, could any of the mind-warping solos that he plays on the NC treatments of traditional bluegrass pieces be considered experimental? Definitely.
He ain't your father's mandolinist. Or guitarist. Or bassist. Or vocalist. Etc., etc.
Don't be offended because Thile didn't slide his versions of "Molly and Tenbrooks" or "Uncle Pen" on this CD. But at the same time, don't think for a second that he's forgotten his bluegrass roots. He just chooses to extrapolate them onto other genres.
That's not a bad thing. It's what a lot of legendary artists have done through the milleniums.
Music is all about expressing who you are and what you're feeling. If you wanted Chris Thile to produce just another mandolin album (even as stunning as his are) or just another bluegrass album (even as innovative and introspective as NC has been), well ... he's been there and done that. And if you want more, there are plenty of bluegrass CDs by The Seldom Scene, New Grass Revival, Flatt and Scruggs, Rhonda Vincent and others filling the bargain bin at your local music store or online.
But to get down on Chris Thile for this? I don't get it.
This guy just does not play by the same rules, and he doesn't have to. But you can, if you like. Be happy there.
I'll listen to Chris Thile.

This album blows me away. This is NOT the kind of music you'll hear on the radio so if you're looking for mainstream, you won't find it in the genuine and honest melodies that come from Chris's mandolin, voice, heart. I've admired his work with Nickel Creek, there's no denying the talent of musicianship but this album goes much deeper than knowing how to play, this album plays like a shakespearean novellette. Please just put this on and give it several times listening before rushing to conclusions. These lyrics, melodies deserve an innocent listen, a virgin ear will easily see masterpiece. The radio-trained listener will probably not get it at all. This is one my favorite new finds this year. Thank you Chris for being brave enough to travel within and take your listeners on this wonderful journey with you.

If there was ever a talent that could just make money , Chris Thile would be that talent. There are few musical talents as fresh and deep as this young man.

But Chris is a talent that wants to make his own Art and if you are along for the ride and willing to be stretched, you will love this album. If you are expecting simple, familiar entertainment, look elsewhere.

It helps to get the right frame of mind. This man grew up as a musical prodigy with a deep faith and was probably late in developing a social life and likely shocked by the rejection and jealousy he faced, both for his talent and his faith. This isn't a "message" album, but it is very honest about innocence intersecting with sexuality, talent seeking frontiers and faith meeting the real world.

The musical talent is everywhere. The album reminded me of the Beatles, The Rock band "Extreme" ( "Three Sides To Every Story" comes to mind ) and has some elements of Nickel Creek's "This Side"...... Chris Rocks. Chris shows some very complex vocal riffs as well as the mandolin varieties. Some of the ballads drag a little and let's face it, he's not Sinatra. But the songs are also about something. And if you are following this amazing young man's career, you won't want to miss this chapter.

This album is very raw. And to be honest, I was a little disappointed at first. This isn't the musical Chris Thile that I'm used to knowing; rather it is the quirky personality that we get to see only on stage. I give the kid credit for stepping out of the box and I don't doubt his talent, but this album wasn't anything like what I was looking for. At least, not at first. Not All Who Wander Are Lost was one of my all time favorite albums and it is the reason why I preordered Deceiver. But don't make the mistake I did and expect another face melting instrumental album. The tracks are as magical as anything Chris produces, but they are tagged with some often immature sounding lyrics. While it may take a while to grow on you, in time this album will be one that you will find yourself playing again and again. In fact, in my case it took a long time. But now The Believer, On Ice, and I'm Nowhere are some of my most listened to songs. Give this album (and Chris) a chance and you'll save yourself the grief of missing a tremendous album!

Deceiver breaks away from other projects, but there still is that element which simply screams Thile-his attentiveness to the smallest detail, the perfection of every note and the wonderful perception of how they can be beautifully discordant or painfully harmonious. The rock genre doesn't always lend itself to showy examples of musical precision (such as classical or celtic), which is perhaps why this album has received some flak.

However, what shocks me is how people fail to see the real beauty of the album--Thile, in my opinion, is a magnificent poet (We stayed in touch/But the touch that I wanted/From her came from girls that scared me to little to love/So all of the thoughts/I thought I might tell her/Have turned into songs that until now she's never heard of). Thile doesn't sound so much like the somewhat omniscient figure he takes on in his Creek songs, instead he sounds more like who he actually is: a twentyish year old guy who feels angst and love and hope just like the rest of us, and lucky for us has a gift which allows him to express that like no one else can.

Well, enough of my ranting. Thile's musicianship is astounding-I won't reiterate the painfully obvious-but to accomplish this kind of a feat by himself, man, we've got to give the guy props. As for the album, my favorites are "The Wrong Idea", "On Ice" and especially "I'm Nowhere and You're Everything". I would give this album a try--really try and listen. I didn't like it till I had listened through it about three times. Thile isn't trying to prove anything to anyone with this, he's not aiming to impress, he's doing it because it's FUN for him. And he SOUNDS like he's having fun. Not all who wander are lost, and Thile sounds like his compass is firmly in place.

I have been a Thile/Watkins/Nickel Creek Fan in all the multiple iterations. Every time something new comes out, I never expect it to be as it is. With Deceiver, I am not at all disappointed. This albulm is a glimpse into Thile's musical brain, not just a pleasant hour worshipping his virtuosity. It's an indulgent album. Chris plays every instrument! Go figure if he isn't amazing at all of them.
My review may sound like some kind of critisism. It ain't me place to criticise. Let me tell you that I enjoy this record up one side and down the other. I enjoy the fun he has making the music, the quirkiness of it, and the juxtoposition of amazing skill and awkward newness.
There are only a handful of artists that can write, play, arrange, and produce their own music. When one does, check it out. You get to see them undiluted, unleashed, and unencumbered. When (not if) you listen to this disc, know that Chris made it for himself, not for you silly

I waited a while before reviewing this album because I was definitely conflicted. I love NAWWAL and Chris could make albums like that for the rest of his life and i would be happy. I am intrigued though by his streching himself as an artist and applaud that.

It took me a while to get used to Deceiver, but after repeated listens I like it very much even though I would have preferred another NAWWAL.

For me I am Nothing and You Are Everywhere is haunting and beautiful; Dewayne Pomeroy and Jessamyr's Reel are both excellent; Believer is a really fine song and the remainder of the tracks are all worth a listen even if they do not grab me.

So, ovreall, it is an album that I can enjoy, but I cannot give it 5 stars because it is a little too uneven and not 100% successful.

Like the other 5-star reviewer, I was not impressed with this album the first few times I listened to it. However, Chris' voice and mandolin have a way of opening up my soul and swallowing it whole with his picking until he owns my mind and my heart soars. Even this album, which is most definetly a departure from everything we know of him (except for the two "palate cleansers"), reaches in and arrests me. First, I love when my favorite artists stretch themselves. Sting and U2 haven't always been successful with their experimentation but they continue to develop and bring us new things. As a performer myself, I envy Chris's talent and wish I had one-tenth of his natural ability. If you are looking for the same old bluegrass then this is not the album for you. If you are looking to push your musical confines then you will love it. His haunting voice is hypnotic on This Is All Real ("soft and silver tongued..."), accusatory on The Wrong Idea ("I guess I will have to introduce you to my friends but I know they'll get the wrong idea...") pounding on "The Believer ("God save the believer we mistake for deceiver cuz it makes us feel better...") and caressing, along with his mandolin, on I'm Nowhere and Your Everything ("I'm lookin in on the passengers from the wing..."). Give it a chance.