I've written before about a group called Over the Rhine, but they are hardly in danger of over-exposure. They are one of those obscure bands that seems to be destined to stay that way but at the same time you can't figure out why. They just had a new CD come out called The Trumpet Child. I downloaded it (legally of course) and have been listening to it on my iPod ever since.
As with their other efforts, I'm drawn to their music for multiple reasons; the beautifully melancholy music, the thought-provoking lyrics that make you want to share a bottle of wine with a loved one next to a fire, and the overall sense that the routines of life are what make it so beautiful. But if you tried to put a label on their music, you'd fail. They are a little bit folk, a little bit jazz, a little bit country, a little bit big band, and a little bit of nearly every other style of music imaginable.
The Cincinnati-based group is made up of a husband and wife team (Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist) who recorded one of their albums ("Drunkard's Prayer") right in their own living room. Much of their music seems to be a celebration of their love for each other. But it's not the sappy sort of music you might expect if you haven't heard them. They sing about the difficulties of relationships, the importance of listening, and the many (forgive the expression) little nuances of relationships; the give and take, the gain and loss, the heartache and the joy.
Here's an example of what I'm talking about from a song called "Let's Spend the Day In Bed":
We’ll read Shel Silverstein
Where The Sidewalk Ends
Smile about old friends
Try to comprehend
One single day
No work and only play
Kick off your shoes
I’m gonna spend the day in bed with you
