February 14, 2011

Over the Rhine: The Long Surrender

The Long Surrender, the new album by Over the Rhine, is the eagerly awaited follow-up of their 2007 album The Trumpet Child. The husband and wife Ohio duo worked with producer Joe Henry on this one. Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist have kept their modern day Great American Songbook inklings intact, but have added a bit more country to the mix, most prominently in Undamned, featuring Lucinda Williams on vocals.

Over the Rhines and Henry went through their Rolodexes inviting a wide variety of guests to play on The Long Surrender. drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist David Piltch, pedal steel and all-things-stringed player Greg Leisz, keyboard players Keefus Cianca and Patrick Warren and Joe's son Levon on tenor sax, along with soul singers James Gilstrap, Niki Haris and Jean McClain, all joined during the recordings sessions at The Garfield House in South Pasadena.

Opener The Laugh of Recognition has the signature husky vocals of Bergquist, but it's as Henry has to realize that her voice is the band's unique selling point. Sharpest Blade is Fifties piano ballad that could have been a film noir late night movie with Bogart and Bacall. Oh Yeah By The Way has a lonely slide guitar, echoing the mournful harmonizing and The King Knows How has the drums and piano striking up a conversation in the background.

Over the Rhine: The Long Surrender

The Long Surrender is a self-released album. Buy it from the band's website.

Tracks:
  1. The Laugh of Recognition
  2. Sharpest Blade
  3. Rave On
  4. Soon
  5. Undamned
  6. Infamous Love Song
  7. Only God Can Save Us Now
  8. Oh Yeah By The Way
  9. The King Knows How
  10. There's A Bluebird In My Heart
  11. Days Like This
  12. All My Favorite People
  13. Unspoken

Over the Rhine will perform at Folk Alliance in Memphis on Wednesday, February 16. A tour kicks off in March.

Live dates:
  • 03/25 Boston, MA @ The Red Room @ Café 939 (Berklee)
  • 03/26 New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
  • 03/27 Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere Club
  • 03/29 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
  • 04/01 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s
  • 04/02 Akron, OH @ Musica
  • 04/05 Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark
  • 04/07 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
  • 04/08 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
  • 04/09 Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
  • 04/10 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center

» overtherhine.com

HCTF review of The Trumpet Child.

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