Since it is Sunday, how about some spooky music with an underlying spiritual message from Over The Rhine? The Cincinnati-based band, founded by vocalist/guitarist Karin Bergquist and bassist/keyboards player Linford Detweiler, has garnered critical acclaim for decades by setting thought-provoking lyrics to inventive folk, country, and indie rock arrangements. “Jacksie,” the first track on Over The Rhine’s 1992 debut album Patience, was inspired by theologian C.S. Lewis’s book, A Grief Observed.
Detweiler spins the author’s heartfelt reflections on the loss of a loved one into a compelling and beautiful ballad. Still, a casual listener could be forgiven for thinking this is a classic ghost story. Especially with lines such as, “They laid her in the ground./She still comes around./A love that never dies takes you by surprise.” Bergquist’s ethereal vocals, set to a serene arrangement, are chilling, especially when her “la la la la la la la” echoes like you’re traveling through a dark forest.
This was the first Halloween song profile I ever wrote for Broken Hearted Toy, all the way back in 2009. Over The Rhine continues to perform and record impressive music, and hosts the Nowhere Else Festival every summer. They’re currently on a European tour and will return to the States in November.
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