There's something about Over The Rhine's records--the sublime, sultry vocals and understated music usually lead me so much deeper into my own thoughts, that I rarely listen closely. While I have especially fond feelings for all their albums, I'd be hard pressed to name more than a handful of their songs. Because of that, the need to write this review, and hence concentrate more closely, on this album was just what I needed to investigate their sound more closely.
While Christmas is a celebration of great joy, it is the mysticalness and poignancy of this festival that Over the Rhine brings out best here. There is no disappearance into sentimentality, although there is a degree of brinkmanship. The cello and acoustic bass are exquisite. The production on the album is sparse, probably because these recordings were made over a few years, and some fans would prefer to hear more of Ric Hordinski's guitar. The way traditional melodies are used in a free and easy manner, fitted around new structures, will not sit well with the purists, but adds a little more appeal to those who enjoy the songs but tire of the traditional format.
If you're looking for a relaxing album for concentrating on or using as a background for your thoughts, this is a good choice.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
ReAL Magazine 2002Reviewed by Jeremy KeillorI recently gave this album to a friend describing it as "the sexiest Christmas Album of all time." Maybe not what everyone is looking for in a Christmas disc, but there's something deeply sensual about these dark, somber arrangements of classic carols and originals. Ultimately it represents the antithesis of the shopping mall muzak so often associated with Christmas. And Linford's essay in the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Richard RichardsonStarting with a moody rendition of "The First Noel," Cincinnati's Over the Rhine put a new spin on the Christmas classics, including not one, but two versions of "Silent Night". Yet both editions transcend the somberness of the original. The Darkest Night of the Year also contains other staple Christmas classics redone such as "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", "Greensleeves" and "O Little Town of…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinThe true test of a really great Christmas album ought to be whether or not you can't wait until Christmas time to play it. The Darkest Night of the Year is one of those albums for myriad reasons. The truth is I've played this one as late as March, and as early as July, and it always sounds great. Over the Rhine's music is hauntingly beautiful, from the soothing strains of Karin Bergquist's voice,…The Lighthouse December 1996Reviewed by Ed RockTake a deep breath. Relax. Over The Rhine's Darkest Night of the Year is the Christmas disc of the year. This is not a loud collection of rock-n-roll holiday tunes to help speed shopping or tree decorating. This disc is peace on Earth. As the last effort with the original Over The Rhine lineup, The Darkest Night of the Year is music for after the shopping's been done, the tree has been trimmed,…Similar sounding releases
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