Karin has one of the most moving voices that I’ve heard in my 25 years upon this earth. She throws so much into her music. I don’t know if that is the total of my attraction to this group or if it is a combination of things. I can tell you that I like the mix of folk, jazz, & light rock. Linford Detweiler is quite the pianist and composer/arranger. There is enough piano and at all the right times.

The first song I heard by Over the Rhine (hereafter OTR) was their cover of Gillian Welch’s “Orphan Girl.” I played it for Sarah because she likes that song and the Gillian Welch version that is so popular. We both remarked that this live version was very moving. It was more upbeat and full than the isolating renditions by Welch and others. It was neat to see it in a more upbeat style and then be sung by such a soulful voice.

I write this post to commend them to you if you haven’t heard them. I really enjoy their original stuff as well as their covers of ballads. I’m a sucker for “live” and acoustic sets, so I went for their “Live from Nowhere” series of albums. But you might want to start with studio albums. I just like the Live feel and impromptu sound. Go, and listen and tell me what you think of that voice and song variety!