Over the Rhine

Item: Films for Radio
Author: Roy Culver

Films for Radio

(2001)

Reviewed by Roy Culver

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Label Back Porch Records / Virgin RecordsHM Magazine #90July/August 2001

adult alternative alternative rock art rock singer-songwriter

The first time Over the Rhine broke into my world was 10 years ago at Cornerstone '91. I had acquired a compilation tape upon entering the festival, and the song "If I'm Drowning" caught my ears amongst all the artists on the tape that didn't last the passing of time.

I remember Over the Rhine being an odd band on the compilation. Karin Bergquist's vocals were astounding, and perfect for this dark, moody song, with its haunting lyrics and a delivery that seemed reverent, spiritual, and sensual all at the same time.

A few years after hearing the band for the first time, I found their first major label debut, Patience, released in 1992 on the now defunct IRS label. The band remained relatively unknown, but still continued to draw a strong underground fan base. In 1994, the band released Eve, possibly their most popular record.

As history unfolded, IRS fell apart and the band was left without a label. Over the Rhine's independent spirit prevailed, and they continued releasing several indie records over the years to satisfy their fan base, as well as their own creative ego. The band headlined tours on their own, as well as landing several opening spots for bands like the Cowboy Junkies, Squeeze, and Bruce Cockburn, among others.

As luck would have it, the band has found its way back on a major label, Back Porch / Virgin. The label re-released Good Dog, Bad Dog last year, but Films for Radio is the band's first all-original record for the label.

The question I find myself asking — is Films for Radio a new venture for the band, or is it just like the band's catalog? Over the Rhine became predictable in some regards as time passed. And the band's detractors had a point. Listening to one Over the Rhine record seemed to sound in some ways like the last one, and the one before that, and so on. So, Films for Radio was something to look forward to, but would it be just another chapter, or would it be a new offering by a new band?

The answer is that there is a little of both. The band visits their past, as well as uncharted territory. "The World can Wait" opens the record with a simple beat, as the guitar fades in, followed by a naked piano piece and a simple bass line. Both Linford and Karin have a knack of writing heartfelt and sorrowful lyrics: "Am I running out of life times / this is not the first time, something ends in just tears / I want to feel and then some / I have five senses / I need thousands more at least." Karin has an amazing talent, and few can take such phrases and make them as hauntingly real as she does.

"If Nothing Else," the album's second track, finds the band in familiar territory. The album's first single, "Give me Strength," is the only track on the record not written in some form or another by Karin or Linford. There is no denying the duo's talent, but I have to say it is one of the most amazing songs I have ever heard. The song, written by the now famous Dido, Pascal Gabriel, and Paul Statham, is probably the closest OTR is going to come to radio fodder.

The band has stretched its boundaries on this record, and I can't help but think that long drives to shows across the country have been filled with soundtracks by Portishead and Bjork. There is an electronic element to this record previously not found on any of the band's other records.

The truth is, if you like Over the Rhine, you will like this record. If you have lost track of the band over the years, there is no better place to begin again than with Films for Radio, the band's most adventurous album to date. Here's hopes that the band will now have the opportunity to perform before the world!