Riverfront Times, St Louis MO
September 21, 1994

by Brian Q Newcomb

The lightning of "Teenage Stardom" hasn't struck Over the Rhine. Yet. This artful alternative band from Cincinnati has only begun to put a dent in the playlists of stations like The Point across America and abroad, but their second album on IRS Records, Eve, shows every sign of having the songs and talent to indicate real staying power. Stronger still are the evocative vocals of Karin Bergquist (a truly fresh voice standing out in a glut of Lisa Loeb wannabes), the trenchant guitar stylings of Ric Hordinski, and the subtle and soulful rhythm section of bassist Linford Detweiler and drummer Brian Kelley. Detweiler's lyrics--less self-conscious than on the previous release, Patience--aspire more toward a poetic sensibility than most rock lyrics, making Over the Rhine both a literate and a visceral experience. When they return to Cicero's on Friday, Sept 23, they are likely to light candles, hang tapestries, burn incense and sell books of poetry and photographs at a T-shirt table. Who says art rock is dead?