Eve

Eve is the most polished of Over The Rhine's self-described "quasi-alternative artpop" records. It's also their most lively, although there are several quietly radiant acoustic moments. The group's primary songwriter, Linford Detweiler, sets the tone for the album not only with his intriguing, metaphysical word play, but also with his glossy basslines. Ric Hordinski's guitars shimmer, buzz, jam, reverberate and fill this diverse album with a polyphony of sounds. But the emotional center of the record is classically trained Karin Bergquist's unmistakable vocal acrobatics — her performances have always been as polished as the music has finally become on this, their third album. The spirit of experimentation that marks their independent records is dampened here, but this is still pretty daring pop music.