For my money, the standard has been set by two albums: Over The Rhine's fourth project, the independently-produced Good Dog, Bad Dog from 1996, and 2001's Films For Radio.“The Trumpet Child is the best record of Over the Rhine’s career, and I’m happy to go on record saying as much. After my first few listens, what I find most striking is the sense of Friday-at-5pm bliss, the sleeves-up fun of friends hanging out and playing just one more tune...
(Seriously this time, last one.)”
Jason Killingsworth, Music Editor, Paste Magazine
The former was the last project of the original four-piece band, with Ric Hordinski's guitars still a dominant influence in what is here the peak of their "post-nuclear, pseudo-alternative, folk-tinged art-pop" days. They'd lost their label, sat down, and made the hitherto best recording of their careers at home. The latter masterpiece, Films For Radio comes with the settling of Over The Rhine as the now-married duo of Karin Berquist and Linford Detweiler, and their willingness hear to explore more of the soundscapes available in studio recording with lush, electronic-tinged detailing. As always, though, it is the songs themselves that are the wonder, whatever the arrangement, but here with these two discs in particular, the mix of collection and production achieved something a cut above even their high capacities. My highest recommendations.
