Over the Rhine - The Trumpet Child
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Free Music Notes for The Trumpet Child
Free Music Review: We love this cd
Hit: 5 Stars
This cd is one you will listen over to, over and over without getting tired of it. We love it!Free Music Review: New Orleans Gumbo
Hit: 4 Stars
It's hard to imagine anyone who likes more than two or three OTR albums not liking "Trumpet Child" - by definition you must have fairly eclectic tastes and a wide range of appreciation. This album has a few *classic* songs on it..and by that I mean that in 30 years, someone will hear them and it will grab the ear and still sound fresh.
A quick point: this album is *NOT* "Lounge" by any reasonable meaning of that label and certainly not "Jazzy" - a meaningless term. It is a distinctly *NEW ORLEANS* influenced record in a dozen different ways. Vaudeville, 60's stoner, ballads, and "I'm On a Roll" is so straight-out-of-the-swamp that you can smell the alligator fritters frying. "Trumpet Child" is a gumbo.
I will say that "Nothing is Innocent" is overstated. Even if you agree with the basic thrust of the political opinion here - and if you don't think it's political, note the Humpty Dumpty reference and white-washed walls - it's quite narrow-minded (in a historical sense) to think that, if innocence has been lost, it has much to do with what's happened politically over the past 8 years. I think that horse has long been out of the barn...
"Entertaining Thoughts" is pure pop genius. ~3 minutes of perfection in writing, performance, and producing. It's on the level of what you find on "Rubber Soul" or "Revolver"...yeah, I said it.
"Let's Spend the Day in Bed" is cool and clever and trippy...Matt Slocum had a lot to do with this one and I am reminded of the concert I saw in Chapel Hill, NC a few years back when he played with OTR. They did "Let It Be" as the final encore. Nuff said.
"Trouble" is one of the quirkiest and most successful songs you will never hear played on the radio. The mix of sounds and transitions and rhythmic shifts (check out what's going on during the bridge!) is brilliant. And of course, Karin is Karin.
Free Music Review: Another unique album from a unique band
Hit: 4 Stars
Even if you could boil down Over the Rhine's style to a short label-size description at all (and in my opinion you can't), a crucial part of the style is that each new album has something very distinct compared to the prior ones. Compared to their last three or four albums, at least, The Trumpet Child is the biggest departure yet.
The biggest difference between this and their previous few albums is that the songs sound far less uniform. This is clear from the very first notes of the opening track, "I Don't Wanna Waste Your Time." The album's title notwithstanding, you probably weren't expecting an Over the Rhine CD to open with horns...but then that signature minor-key piano comes in to dispel any doubt that it's still them. Next, "Trouble" features perhaps the most unique rhythm ever from OtR, but Karin Bergquist's breathy vocals are still unmistakeable. "Don't Wait for Tom," an uncannily fitting tribute to Tom Waits, is even more left of center, and features Linford Detweiler, usually the strictly instrumental half of the duo, on lead vocals to surprisingly amusing effect. "Desperate for Love" could almost pass for a classic torch song. Closing the set in unlikely hard-country style, "If a Song Could be President" proves the usually very serious pair have a quirky sense of humor after all.
It's not all new formula. The classic Over the Rhine sound - that arty, melancholy, piano-driven folk pop - turns up on the title track and "Nothing is Innocent." As usual, there is also one shamelessly romantic yet not-at-all treacly number. This time it's "Let's Spend the Day in Bed," which is just as delightfully sultry as the title suggests.
If you have and like any of their other albums, you'll probably like this one as well. If you don't have any of the others, this is as good a starting point as any for one of the more distinctive bands out there.
Free Music Review: Over the Rhine kicks into overdrive with 4th release within 12 months
Hit: 4 Stars
With the release of "The Trumpet Child", Over the Rhine has released not one, not two, not three, but FOUR albums in the past year. First there was the outstanding and long-awaited second Christmas album "Snow Angels" (independantly released in December 06), then there was "Live from Nowhere, Volume 2", a great live album also released independantly in early 07, and then there was "Discount Fireworks", the outstanding first ever career-overview, released by Back Porch also in early 07. After their record deal with Back Porch ran out in 2006, the band decided to go the independent route, and this is the first 'regular' studio to come out from that.
"The Trumpet Child" (11 tracks, 41 min.) continues the band's evolution into more jazzier sounds, even cabaret-like, as primary songwriter Linford Dettweiler writes in the liner notes. This comes out in songs like the opener "I Don't Wanna Waste Your Time", "I'm On a Roll" and the title track. Much better for me is the album's mid-section, with Karin Bergquist-penned track (and first single) "Entertaining Thoughts" and also "Let's Spend the Day In Bed", the best track of the album for me. There are a number of tracks on here that OtR has been playing in concert for a while now, including the funny "Trouble" (Karin's ode of sorts to Linford) and also the album closer "If A Song Could Be President", the most overtly political song ever from OtR, and, frankly, a turn-off for me, with silly lines like "We'll make Neil Young a Senator/Even though he's from Canada". Urr... no.
That aside, "The Trumpet Child" is a great addition to the rich Over the Rhine catalogue. Karin Bergquist's vocals sound as warm and rich as ever before. The band continues to evolve, and I've been on this ride since the early 90s. I can only hope they can keep surprising me!
Free Music Review: My new favorite disc (this month)
Hit: 4 Stars
After reading these reviews I feel compelled to write one. I'm shocked at the negative reviews of this disc since I really, really like it and I'm troubled that this is getting dissed simply because of it's retro arrangements. I'm relatively new to OtR, having only "Drunkard's Prayer" and "Films for Radio" but don't find this that much of a departure. They seem to enjoy playing with various styles and this one suites their talents, and regardless of the style these are very strong songs. "Trouble" is my new favorite drive-to-work-in-the-morning song. "I'm on a Roll" and "I don't wanna waste your time" sound like vintage Maria Muldaur. "let's spend the day in bed" is sultry and funky and "Don't wait for Tom" is hilarious. I agree that "if a song could be president" is lame though, almost enough to knock it down a star, but not quite.
They've strayed too close to Dido and Sarah McLachlan territory with the "alternative" vibe. For me this classic, well worn, smokey bar room jazz groove is a welcome diversion. It's nice to hear them sound relaxed and like they're having fun. If you like Robinella, Jolie Holland, Madeline Peroux, The Little Willies, Po' Girl, Sonja Kitchell, Ray Lamontagne, or of course old school Tom Waits you'll find this very satisfying.