Blinders On

Sean Watkins

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 14, 2006)
• Original Release Date: March 14, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sugarhill
• ASIN: B000EJ9VC0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #148,011 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
From the opening Nirvana-styled guitar squall of "Not That Bad/Blinders On" to the piano and fresh-faced Beach Boys-influenced vocals that appear out of nowhere only ten seconds later, it's obvious that Sean Watkins has decided to make this outing different from anything else he has produced under his own name or with Nickel Creek. Recorded sporadically over a two-year period between tours, Blinders On, perhaps not surprisingly, reflects a wildly diverse, even schizophrenic quality. The songs veer from lovely, acoustic ballads such as "Run Away Girl" and "I'm Sorry" to skewed, near-experimental yet melodic pieces. "Happy New Year" shifts from Brian Wilson-styled chamber pop to tape-looped drums, all within four minutes. Like Wilson, Watkins uses the studio as an instrument, overdubbing himself on guitar, bass, and keyboards and stitching the track together with remarkably cohesive results. His sweet, boyish voice, sometimes reminiscent of a young Jackson Browne or Ben Folds, brings an intriguing innocence to these complex tracks, many of which don't follow traditional song structure. It's not an easy listen, but multiple spins, especially with headphones, helps one to appreciate the sheer craft and talent on this set. Sister and fellow Nickel Creek member Sara Watkins and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench add their talents when needed, but Blinders On is a predominantly solo undertaking. It's an idiosyncratic and often dazzling disc that pushes musical boundaries even further than the increasingly eclectic tendencies of Watkins's full-time band. --Hal Horowitz

Product Description
With Blinders On, Grammy-winning Nickel Creek guitarist/songwriter/singer Sean Watkins pushes his ever-developing sonic palette further into indie-pop. As is the case with his Nickel Creek bandmate Chris Thile on his solo albums, Watkins exercises his creativity and vision with unmatched agility-crafting thoughtful narratives and richly complex yet irrefutably accessible melodies to arrive at a mature brand of intelligent, acoustic pop.

Blinders On includes performances by Jon Forman (Switchfoot), Benmont Tench, Jon Brion, Glenn Kotche (Wilco), Sara Watkins, Gabe Witcher, Byron House, Rashad Eggleston, Mark Schatz, and Duncan Moore!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Addition to Sean's Albums, March 18, 2006

By	Veginomaly (Texas) - See all my reviews

I bought this when it was available as a digital download on seanwatkins.com early in the year. I enjoyed it very much. Many of the songs are much different from the songs off his previous album, 26 Miles, but after listening to them a few times I fell in love with them.
I'm going to agree with the person who reviewed this album before me in saying "Run Away Girl" is one of my favorites. I also enjoyed all the other songs, though, unlike the former reviewer. I may have a bit of a bias because I absolutely love Sean's music but if I can listen to the entire album over and over again as I do now with "Blinders On," I must give the album all 5 stars.
I like it so much that I'm ordering the CD even though I already have the digital copy. I will restate, though, that I needed to listen to the CD a few times (about three) before I "understood" it, which is my way of saying "adjusted to it in comparison to 26 Miles."

5.0 out of 5 stars An experimental adventure, May 28, 2009

By	Emily R. White - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've enjoyed the Nickel creek CDs for years now, and in particular Sean's compositions, so I decided to investigate his solo work. I bought this CD after previewing "Runaway Girl" on his website. Like some of the other reviewers have said, this CD might take a few listens before you really "get it." I can really identify with a lot of the lyrics, though. Some of the edgier songs make more sense if you know the backstory ("Happy New Year" was written as a tribute for the tsunami victims of 2004). The string quartet excerpt, "Cammac," might seem a little random and out of place, but it reminds me of the sound of an orchestra warming up (I'm a string player myself, so it's almost a little nostalgic for me). Anyway, if it really bothers you, it's not very long and you'll live through it. My favorite tracks are "Summer's Coming," "Hello Goodbye" (which leaves you wishing it were longer, but you know it shouldn't be), "Runaway Girl," "I Say Nothing," "They Sail Away," and "Whipping Boy." The decision to follow up "Not That Bad/Blinders On" with "Whipping Boy" was genius, in my opinion. Musically, this CD more closely resembles Nickel Creek's "Why Should the Fire Die?" than the group's other recordings. I've enjoyed it, and it has earned a spot in my regular rotation of CDs.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sean Watkins' very own "white album" , January 4, 2007

By	P. R. Saba (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sean Watkins is really coming into his own -- and his own is something special and unique. This album plays out as an intensely personal journey into the mind of an extraordinary young talent. Watkins casts the rules aside. Little if anything on this album seems to have been formula packaged for radio play, but that doesn't mean the hooks are any less catchy or the stripped down ballads any less beautiful. Right off the bat, the album opens with with a wiggly, other-worldly sound that is unlike anything I've ever heard. Although it only lasts a second or two, it effectively says to the listener, "This is going to be different from what you've heard before. Shake the wax of status quo out of your ears." Like the Beatles did on their "white album" (and I don't use the analogy loosely), Sean plays the studio like a instrument for most of "Blinders On." The creativity and attention to detail that went into the production of this album will be thoroughly enjoyable to those who are attentive to the way songs "sound." At the same time, it will not be lost on even the most casual listener. Instead of the standard components of most songs today -- melody and lyrics -- with one or both components being quite weak, the tracks on this album are comprised of melody, lyrics, and production -- in equal parts and equally brilliant. I have followed Sean since Nickel Creek's early days, and it's amazing to witness such rapid artistic growth. I hope he can sustain it, because I can't wait to hear what he does next. Great job, Sean!