I’ve always been intrigued by music that deviates from the norm. When I was a teenager, I was the one blaring Bjork from my car. That or Handel’s Messiah, which isn’t strange in comparison unless you pull up beside the person singing at the top of their lungs to “Thus Saith the Lord.”

So when the first song started playing on Creaking Tree String Quartet’s third album The Soundtrack, I was more than excited. I was mesmerized by the mesh of Americana—jazz, folk, bluegrass, you name it.

Creaking Tree is an award-winning quartet of stringed instruments with mandolinist Andrew Collins, guitarist Brad Keller, bassist Brian Kobayakawa, and violinist John Showman. These talented instrumentalists offer a new blend of music for the eclectic and eccentric. Like me!

The Soundtrack was produced by Grammy winner Bil VornDick. It’s already won Best Instrumentalists and Pushing the Boundaries, at the Canadian Folk Music Awards and is considered Creaking Tree’s best CD so far.

Every piece on the album stands alone with its unusual blend of style from these talented Canadian artists. One track entitled “Sliding Down” holds almost a lullaby quality as the musicians capture a truly “sliding” effect throughout the piece. Then another favorite, “Way Moot,” at points has an Irish edge and others a Latino. But if I’m going to mention those, I also have to add “Motian” to the list. It’s just bizarre and altogether fantastic.

Ever since the first time I listened to Creaking Tree, the disk has stayed in my computer’s CD-ROM to help me through the day’s lulls. My next move is to get the previous two, so I can have one in my car and one in my stereo. Yeah, yeah. Get an iPod, you say. Well, not until you go get The Soundtrack by Creaking Tree String Quartet. I promise it won’t be as annoying and hard to figure out as iTunes. Just pop the CD in and enjoy the beautiful acoustic sound. Or roll down your car windows and blare the jazz, folk, bluegrass mix. Compete with the hip-hop junkies! I promise you’ll enjoy it.