Chris Thile

Best known as one-third of Nickel Creek, Chris Thile is a mandolin prodigy who recorded his first album when he was only 13 years old. On How to Grow a Woman from the Ground, Thile moves with unsurprising confidence from bluegrass to jazz to classical arrangements, but he shows much less mastery over his pop compositions. “Stay Away” showcases a startlingly graceful melody, but his cover of The White Stripes’ “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” comes off as mere novelty, the title track sounds too abstract and aimless, and—the name says it all—“You’re an Angel, and I’m Gonna Cry” is way too sappy.