Over The Rhine – The Long Surrender (2/8)

Rarely am I left speechless. I'm a talker, born and raised, an English major, and a writer on top of that. Imagine my surprise then when I hit play on Over The Rhine's The Long Surrender and was stunned into silence. Over and over again I listened to it and stared at an empty word document, driven to articulate what the album was doing to me and then coming up empty handed.

Over the Rhine have a special spot in my heart. Composed of a married couple (Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler) and based in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, they've been recording music longer than I've been alive. Any given OtR release usually feels a bit nostalgic and more than a little tempestuous, combining immense instrumental talent with evocative lyrics and Bergquist's unmistakable voice in a way that simply cannot be ignored. These are albums that sometimes quietly, and sometimes more imperatively, command your attention and take root in your mind, filling your thoughts when you least expect it.

The Long Surrender continues in this tradition, but writing it off as Just Another Album would be a huge mistake. A Grammy-winning producer (Joe Henry) and handfuls of guest musicians grant it a sort of polished depth that feels different from past releases. This polish, which makes the album at least the best sounding Over The Rhine release regardless of whether it is your favorite or not, is balanced by the fact that the record feels like a community endeavor. Hundreds of fans contributed funds in an effort to make this album a joint project from Bergquist and Detweiler's label Great Speckled Dog and the fans that have allowed them to keep making albums for more than twenty years.

The result of that project? Thirteen songs full of turbulent emotions and graceful musicality where you're just as likely to get soft crooning as you are raspy howling. "Oh Yeah By The Way," a number that's quietly wistful, unassuming in the very best way, is my favorite track off the album. "The Laugh of Recognition" and "Undamned" (a duet featuring Lucinda Williams) are close contenders. This is, for me, the kind of album that you'll want to just sit by yourself in a quiet room and listen to for the first time, no distractions, just absorbing the different layers of instruments and the supremely well-written lyrics. Or, you know, in a room full of people you love that love music even when it isn't coming from the newest musical act.

Over The Rhine – Oh Yeah By The Way

The Long Surrender's official release date is February 8th but you can get an immediate download and early shipping by ordering at OvertheRhine.com.