Chris Thile’s new album is a bit tricky to get to grips with. The music defies easy categorization, but, of course, that is nothing new on a Thile record. The playing is wonderful, bordering on the incredible, but that too is to be expected. The material is mostly closer to bluegrass than Thile’s last record, Deceiver, or the most recent Nickel Creek record, but Thile’s singer-songwriter muse is in full force as well. The issue seems to come from Thile’s desire to confound expectations and keep the listener on his toes. Just when you think Thile has been listening to too much Radiohead, here comes Brakeman’s Blues and If The Sea Was Whiskey. When those have gone down easily, next up is Heart In A Cage from The Strokes. This record contains some brilliant moments and excellent paying throughout, but it is hard to get fully comfortable with it. BMP