OTR reach creative height with Films for Radio
By GREG RUEHLMANN
Scene Music Critic
The road to musical success is rarely easy. The typical band must spend years fostering a fan base, finding the right label, and developing its sound before it can achieve a breakthrough hit — if it ever does. A band that has certainly paid its dues over the last decade is the Cincinnati-based group Over the Rhine. Led by the husband-wife song writing duo of Linford Detweiler (piano, keyboard) and Karin Bergquist (vocals, guitar), the group has endured record label problems and the departure of two band members. But judging from their new release, Films for Radio, all of OTR's struggles are finally about to pay off.
Over the Rhine — named after Cincinnati's poorest inner-city neighborhood — got its start in 1989 playing at clubs like Sudsy Malone's, the Queen City's infamous laundromat/ alternative music venue. The band's unique blend of folk, rock, pop and blues propelled it to the forefront of a vibrant Cincinnati music scene with the likes of The Afghan Whigs, The Ass Ponys and Blessid Union of Souls. Eleven years and seven albums later, OTR's hometown popularity and small but devoted national following continue to grow.
Through the years, the group has dealt with its fair share of difficulties. In 1996, it lost its record deal when the label I.R.S. disappeared in the midst of massive industry restructuring. Later that year, two of the band's four founding members left to pursue other opportunities. But Bergquist and Detweiler pressed on. They hired new musicians and continued to record music.
Through their own independent label, they distributed OTR's music, including the original band's final album, the independent classic Good Dog Bad Dog. The couple performed on "CBS This Morning" in late 1998 and grimaced as the host described Over the Rhine as "one of America's great unsigned bands." Fortunately, that "unsigned" was dropped when Over the Rhine joined Virgin/Backporch records.
Though OTR has aspired to mainstream success in the American music scene, it still remained a well-kept indie rock secret. That is, until now, as the band releases what is easily its most skillful effort to date. Films For Radio exhibits the polish of veteran studio musicians and further solidifies Bergquist's and Detweiler's status as master songwriters. Most importantly, Films For Radio is a record bursting with beauty, and should translate better to popular radio than any of Over the Rhine's previous works. The album resounds as a triumph for Over the Rhine and a landmark in the group's musical development.
Films for Radio gets off to a great start with the track "The World Can Wait." Don Heffington's pounding percussion and Detweiler's keyboards give the song a mystical quality that sets the perfect tone for the rest the record. "The World Can Wait" leads into other memorable songs such as "Give Me Strength," "Little Blue River," and "Goodbye."
"Give Me Strength" represents quite a departure for OTR, and has already earned significant airplay on alternative stations across the country. Co-written by Dido, it is a slightly dark, introspective piece, textured with rich electronic rhythms rather than piano and guitar. The refrain is an anthem of determination: "Give me strength to find the road that's lost in me/ Give me time to heal and build myself a dream/ Give me eyes to see the world surrounding me/ Give me strength to be only me."
"Little Blue River" is a classic Over the Rhine number — bluesy and totally intoxicating. Detweiler plays some spectacular piano on this track. The line "Roll me over that little blue river now, church child" will be stuck in music fans' minds for a long time to come. "Little Blue River" is followed by "Goodbye," which sounds like the wistful pop of Over the Rhine's early days. It examines the daily uncertainty of life, ultimately finding a shimmer of hope as Bergquist exclaims, "This is not goodbye."
OTR closes Films for Radio with the showstopper "When I Go." The band's lyrics have never sounded so passionate, or so melancholy. Bergquist has one of the world's most beautiful voices, and she uses it to carry this song entirely by herself. She cries out for validation, "I want to know/ Will it make a difference/ When I go?" as Detweiler and guitarist Jack Henderson softly complement her singing. "When I Go" ends the album as strongly as "The World Can Wait" began it.
With Films for Radio, Over the Rhine has achieved new heights of creativity. Hopefully, the album will also take the band to new heights of popular success. In a world where mainstream music has gone so stale, the artistry of a band like OTR should be warmly welcomed.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, April 10, 2001
