- A
- A
- A
For their 13th LP, the Ohio-based husband-and-wife team of bassist Linford Detweiler and vocalist Karin Bergquist offer 11 meditations on love and loss. The sparse arrangements—marked by Bergquist’s aching vocals, chiming acoustic guitar, and Greg Leisz’s yearning pedal steel, with occasional string accompaniment—fit in with the group’s motto to leave the edges rough, and their literary pop is consistently melodious and haunting. “Los Lunas,” a striking contemplation on grief, is reminiscent of a snowbound afternoon—warm on the inside, but with the icy glare of melancholia just a breath away. “Broken Angels” finds Bergquist revealing her inner fears, an example of the raw, emotional honesty that permeates songs about hard-learned lessons of love and life. “Betting on the Muse” reflects on the duo’s three-decade-long relationship and the twilight of their career. The stunning “May God Love You (Like You’ve Never Been Loved)” is filled with hope while the rustic mid-tempo ballad “Rocking Chair” offers a relaxed change of pace. Over the Rhine has drawn comparisons to 10,000 Maniacs and the Cowboy Junkies, and Love & Peace proves they’re in the same league, staking out a heartfelt, quiet space in the pop world.
By Greg Cahill
More articles from this editorRead Next From Music
Igor Levit: Fantasia
- Mar 26, 2024
Madlib: Shades of Blue (Madlib Invades Blue Note)
- Mar 22, 2024
Betty Davis: Crashin’ from Passion
- Mar 19, 2024
The Replacements: Tim: Let it Bleed Edition
- Mar 15, 2024