Over the Rhine - The Trumpet Child
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Free Music Notes for The Trumpet Child
Free Music Review: a triumph of class and style
Hit: 5 Stars
I thought Over the Rhine's last [non-holiday non-retrospective] studio release Drunkard's Prayer was a beautiful and heart-wrenching CD, but it also made me worry that OtR might be losing the sense of stylistic adventure that always distinguished their evolution as a band, and that maybe they were settling a little too comfortably into the alt-countryish groove they first inhabited with Ohio. But The Trumpet Child has arrived to announce resoundingly that this is not the case! Karin and Linford have brought together a very talented troupe of musicians to record this relatively light-hearted collection of songs (a respite of sorts after the soul-dredging of Drunkard's Prayer -- now they're kicking back and getting stoned on love), and the CD features a diverse mix of sophisticated arrangements graced with the usual high levels of passion and musicianship that fans have come to expect from Over the Rhine. There are really no songs I don't like here (the first OtR album I can say that about since Good Dog Bad Dog), from the cautionary invitational "I Don't Want to Waste Your Time" to the whimsical folk anthem "If a Song Could Be President" and in my opinion this album includes some of their best. "Nothing Is Innocent" is my personal favorite and is perhaps their most scathing (and certainly their most haunting) commentary on the state of the nation to date. "The Trumpet Child" is unlike anything I've ever heard and one of the most stirring performances by Karin and Linford on record, brilliantly synthesizing the twin themes of faith and music that have always shaped their lives, and building to a joyful climax followed by a wonderful coda and dissolution by the piano and horns. The rollicking "Who'm I Kiddin' But Me" shows Karin at her casual best, and in fact she turns in a fantastic vocal performance on just about every track here. And I love Linford's vaudeville tribute "Don't Wait for Tom" which includes dozens of lyrical and musical references to Waits' music. Much of this CD is just plain fun!
Every OtR album has felt like a gift to me, and The Trumpet Child is certainly no exception (at the moment it's tied with Patty Griffin's Children Running Through for my favorite disc of 2007). It surprises me that a number of people who posted here aren't enjoying it, including some long-time Over the Rhine fans, but I guess every OtR album has alienated some people. Personally I think Karin's "uhh uhh uhh"s at the begining of "Trouble" alone are worth the price of the CD! In my judgment it's one of their best, and definitely reaffirms the band's commitment to experimenting with new genres and fresh directions that has so often distinguished their recordings. But to each their own, and Over the Rhine really "don't wanna waste your time with music you don't need" -- you can stream lo-fi versions of these amazing songs on their website and decide for yourself if this album deserves a place in your collection!
Free Music Review: Frequently referential, rarely derivative
Hit: 5 Stars
On most albums there are a few songs I like, and the rest I skip. But listening to The Trumpet Child over and over, I seldom find myself reaching for the "next track" button.
Until I heard a review of this album on Public Radio a few weeks ago, I had never heard of Over the Rhine. Now I am a missionary for this album. I played several tracks for a family gathering yesterday (which includes 4 professional musicians), and it went over well. My favorite ex-girlfriend bought it on my recommendation.
I love the variety, rich instrumentation and sheer creative exuberance of this music. These are mature artists who have listened to a lot of music, taken the best of what they heard, and woven it into their own work, not as imitations or derivative works, but as part of their own rich musical vocabulary.
The lyrics, too, express this creative exuberance. Only a few songs on this album (notably On a Roll) have clichés imbedded in the lyrics. But there are so many cultural references in the lyrics and music itself, I suppose someone could write a dissertation about this album. Few listeners will pick up on all of these references, ranging from the Bible to pop culture, but most of us will click with enough of them to find the words amusing and engaging in a way that most popular songwriting is not. I know I didn't discover most of the "dozens" of references another reviewer mentioned that could be found in Don't Wait for Tom." For example, what's the deal about windshield wipers on a '55 Buick?
But who needs footnotes when you can sit back and enjoy the music?
I believe this music will endure long after the dreck that floods today's airwaves is forgotten.
Free Music Review: perfection- a true gem striking it's own distinguished sound.
Hit: 5 Stars
Over the Rhine fans are avid, or shall i say rabid. i am one of those. However i do not automatically favor every artistic attempt they have tried. This, however reaches new heights to where i did not know they were even capable.
Good Dog, Bad Dog is a favorite with most of us, Ohio falls close behind.
-> this is a very different record, but it is good.
The Trumpet Child is musically sparse and full all at the same time, and it is funny and insightful while it doesn't ignore the spiritual. it seems the spiritual is more in some of the music, and it is more of a feeling (as maybe it should be)- but it is all there, close your eyes and feel... i did and that is why i praise their work on this record especially.
The fans who are at first disappointed need to listen to the record as if they are not expecting an Over the Rhine album. This is new, but it is still them. this record it is kinda like someone getting a haircut, or a sexchange- the same person is still there, they just move a bit different, the light hits different- there is more air in places that were fuller before... etc.
as a fan from day one, i applaud linford and karen. this is a fully grown-up mature record of high style and fashion. they have done it.
i expect they will finally get the grammy for best contemporary folk album, they better, it is beyond time for the recognition, and right in time with album making.
Free Music Review: Don't expect sad and heart-wrenching
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been following OtR since 1994, and I fully expected a long list of 5 star reviews for The Trumpet Child.
Ohio, GDBD and Drunkard's Prayer are gems best listened too with a glass of wine on a lonely night, and those of you looking for more music to enhance your heart ache will be disappointed with The Trumpet Child.
It is jazzy, it is cabaret, it is beautiful, and it is decidedly up-beat. "I'm on a roll" is as optimistic as the title sounds and "Don't Wait for Tom" is a long awaited Linford sung (rapped?) sequel equal to "Jack's Valentine" from Good Dog Bad Dog. The Trumpet Child is also more complex instrumentally with all tracks featuring more than just guitar and piano. It's refreshing to hear a variety of percussion, winds, and double bass in OtR music.
When I used to play Good Dog Bad Dog friends and passersby would stop to ask "who is this?!?" and want the album only after a brief listen. The same is happening again with The Trumpet Child. The only bad thing about this album is that it's going to make it even harder to get good seats at OtR shows.
Have a listen to "I'm on a Roll" or search for it on youtube (there's a good video of Karen and Linford playing it at a radio station studio). If you like it, go for it.
Free Music Review: Great Album
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm surprised by the negative reviews that cite the dramatic change in genre heard on The Trumpet Child as a problem; musical versatility and genre-bending are par for the course with Over the Rhine. They have a lot of albums, and no two sound alike. You've got the early-90s alt-rock-pop of Eve, the late 90s folk of Good Dog Bad Dog, the looped up Films for Radio, the pared down Drunkard's Prayer. If you unwrap The Trumpet Child expecting a third disc of Ohio, you're going to be disappointed, but that doesn't mean it isn't an excellent record. The lyrics here are as innovative and poetic as ever, and the music itself is playful, soulful, haunting, and frisky- sometimes all in the same measure. The CD is being touted as their "party record," and while the tongue-in-cheek yet endearingly idealistic "If a Song Could Be President" certainly makes for a fun listen, there's substance here. The title track is astounding, and the thread of hard-won joy that is woven through the entire album is every bit as profound as the threadbare melancholy of GDBD and DP.
If you dismiss this lovely, jazzy incarnation of Over the Rhine, I think you're missing out. But just wait 'til next season, when this band that has turned musical transformation into an art form comes back with a whole different tune. In the meantime, play it loud.