Description
Discount Fireworks: A Collection is a compilation album by the American americana/folk band Over the Rhine, released on Back Porch Records in February 2007. The compilation was produced by Linford Detweiler.
How do you explain the allure of Over the Rhine? How much is it due to their gorgeous melodies? How much due to Karin Bergquist’s beguiling voice – strong, yet vulnerable, often revealing her Ohio background, yet sometimes suggesting artists from Moya Brennan (during background vocals) and Dido (on a cover of her song) to Annie Lennox? Then there’s husband Linford Detweiler, who does not sing, but whose engaging lyrics and highly expressive piano convey so much.
Never over-produced and using restraint like an extra instrument, the band is often at its best when predominantly using just piano and vocals – although guitar and cello do a fine, unobtrusive job of washing songs with their own emotional shades.
This retrospective (in roughly reverse order) is not a best-of, but a band’s guide to their output. The only new track «Last Night on Earth Again» starts proceedings and is a decent – but not outstanding – slab of country rock.
Superb as the general quality is, some of these tracks stand on the shoulders of giants. The one that most brings me to tears (I’m not ashamed to admit) is «The World Can Wait» with its hypnotic drum rhythm and Ric Hordinski‘s occasional eerie wail (his guitar tones are so reminiscent of The Choir that I had to check Love Songs And Prayers and his web site to make sure he didn’t play for them).
The title track to Ohio (which many consider to be their finest work) is spare, aching, personal and haunting.
«Sweet Baby Jane» and «How Does It Feel» break the spine-tingling mood a little, being just good, rather than magical. But then the only live track «Lookin’ Forward», highly complementary to the studio version, raises the bar again.
Drunkard’s Prayer, their last ‘proper’ album, contained such beauty and emotional dynamite that it lived in my player for months. Hearing Discount Fireworks was risky – would it undo the magic? No, it only added to it.
Discount Fireworks is an excellent place to discover Over the Rhine. It shows why they have been spoken of in dribbling, hushed tones by those in the know, but still does not explain how they have failed to become massive. [Derek Walker, The Phantom Tollbooth, 02/24/2007]
CD tracklist:
01. Last Night On Earth Again – 3:37
02. If Nothing Else – 4:57
03. Suitcase – 3:26
04. Give Me Strength – 4:15
05. Latter Days – 5:40
06. The World Can Wait – 5:45
07. Show Me – 4:22
08. Born – 6:13
09. All I Need Is Everything – 5:05
10. Ohio – 5:13
11. Sleep Baby Jane – 4:59
12. How Does It Feel? (To Be On My Mind) – 3:58
13. Lookin’ Forward (Live) – 4:09
14. Within Without – 4:26
15. Like A Radio – 5:07
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