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Badger Herald, University of Wisconsin
September 2, 1994

by Audrey Chambrandt

OVER THE RHINE'S EVE OF INDEPENDENCE

In the days following the release of Over the Rhine's third album, Eve, lead signer Karin Bergquist sounds exhausted.

"Media day," she says, "I don't even know who I've talked to."

Except it might not be just the day. After all, it could be the last year, in which Over the Rhine has toured incessantly throughout Europe and across the United States, promoting themselves and their indescribable brand of emotional rock, borderline pop, firebrand lyrics, bluesy guitars, and soft-spoken, lush vocals. It could be the thrill of landing a major label deal with IRS (the label that originally launched REM) and Over the Rhine's major label debut, Patience, a critical rave which landed Over the Rhine an incredibly loyal legion of fans, all of whom they try to remain in touch with. And it could be the recording of their latest album (released last Tuesday), Eve, the quartet's third album, which took them from the serenity of New England to the bayou of New Orleans, where they recorded at Daniel Lanois' studio (using consoles used originally by Hendrix and Lennon, and using the Abbey Road speakers). It is an album which sees the band departing in radical new directions, capturing the unfettered pace of the band's live sound in the studio--not only letting Bergquist's vocals run away with emotion, but allowing the guitars to take the forefront, an approach that had so far only been seen on stage. And it could have been the tragic death of her father, to whom the album is dedicated.

"The tone of the project may come as a surprise to anyone who has never seen us live, but for anyone who has, it shouldn't be a huge departure from where the band has currently evolved," says Bergquist. For indeed, Over the Rhine's live sets are peppered with rock-n-roll and even anger, an emotion which showed up only in muted tones on the first album (the independent 'Til We Have Faces) and on Patience.

But then again Eve's growth is an entirely different story. "The first two were, well, are basically collections of song demos, albums which were straight-forward documentations of where we were at the time, but with Eve, we'd been touring a lot more as a band." And it shows on the album, the band seems much more relaxed in the studio, and the songs flow much better, as in the haunting "Daddy Untwisted," a fantastically scary tune of parental alienation. The lyrics intone a puzzling, "Are you my Daddy? Are you?," and then break down to a litany of uncertainties. "I don't want to cut you slack and watch it go to hell," and "I don't want to talk about the shit you're really in." All this from a band who, less than a year ago had a top-notch single from the beautiful "How Does It Feel (To Be On my Mind)."

But the newer, raging feeling doesn't necessarily herald a new version of Over the Rhine. "Ric (pronounced Rich, lest there be any confusion) had this great guitar line that he used to always play in rehearsal, and I loved it." Combined with the feelings surrounding her about her father's recent passing, she improvised the vocals which eventually became a "love song for my father, a song without hostility, about needing to know him when I was younger." The new songs seem to be merely emotions which were very real, but yet had never before made it to the studio.

The album rounds out with the lounge-club jazz of "My Love is a Fever," and "Falling (Death of a Tree)."

Over the Rhine begins to come together as a complete picture. The three albums (even the independent release) have been beautifully packaged, in book-like fashion, replete with woodcuts and photographs (exquisitely done by Ohio photographer Michael Wilson). The band has gone so far as to start production on a video documentary, Serpents and Gloves, an interview, video, and concert footage compilation.

And over the last year, there have been plenty of new fans to keep happy. The band has picked up legions of fans in Belgium and has gained major exposure by opening dates in the Midwest with Bob Dylan. And Over the Rhine's friends tend to remain extremely loyal, picked up mainly along the road where Over the Rhine is glad to invite strangers into the growing family. When not busy touring, Karin and Linford attempt to answer as many letters as they can. "Ideally, it would be great to keep in touch with everyone who writes," concedes Karin, but the time on the road has left "a backlog of wonderful letters" that may or may not be answered.

Overall, Over the Rhine has created their third album with a minimum of bowing to popular pressure, sticking to what they believe, and exhibiting a willingness to continue experimenting.

Let the rave reviews begin...