| Over the Rhine | Everybody Has A Story... | Press Archive index
. . . Rochester Eccentric, Rochester MI by Mike Gallo OVER THE RHINE The radio-friendly "Happy With Myself?' is already on its way to being a major hit, and vocalist Karin Bergquist is getting compared to everyone from Debbie Harry to Patti Smith. The secret weapon to Eve (IRS), though, is keyboardist /bassist/lyricist Linford Detweiler. His words read like a modern day e.e. cummings on paper, when he writes in "Should," for instance. "should I never use/the fingers that find/should I never read/the words on my feet/leading me to you/the blind lead the blind." The good news is that this record is as musically satisfying and challenging as those words deserve. "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander" and "Birds" showcase the band's democratically performed musical magic. Guitarist Ric Hordinski and drummer Brian Kelley bring sensitivity and an appreciation for the quiet as markedly as their ability to rock in a manner frequently reminiscent of a cross between Rain Parade and Pink Floyd. And, yes, there is Bergquist's delicious vocal prowess, on which the band will find it greatest strength in the popular arena. It is a voice with wrap-around quality, best demonstrated on "My Love Is a Fever," in which she takes a line "my love is jazz licks" and nails one of the shining moments of pop music, circa 1994. |