Years ago I realized that any artist needs to have lots of talent in order to gain widespread recognition (yes, even those whose music seems completely worthless). I also came to recognize that being immensely talented and working hard offers no assurance that he, she, or they will “make it big.”

Case in point: I‘ve been enjoying the music of Over the Rhine since a few months after the release of their second album in 1992. With the recent release of their eighteenth album, The Trumpet Child, and despite well over a decade full of glowing reviews praising vocalist Karin Bergquist as “the greatest unknown singer of our generation,” well-deserved stardom continues to elude the Cincinnati-based band. However, The Trumpet Child is such a musical tour de force that perhaps OTR‘s career is finally about to take off for the stratosphere. On the other hand, judging by their history, perhaps not. In a world of megacorporate-controlled radio airplay and music marketing, cream does not always rise to the top. Nonetheless, if only through word of mouth, this new album should give OTR a long-deserved shot at stardom.

Thanks in equal parts to the continuing expansion of Bergquist‘s vocal talents and her husband/multi-instrumentalist Linford Detweiler‘s songwriting and arranging proficiency, The Trumpet Child is OTR‘s best album ever. My wife Pam has it in constant rotation in our kitchen and bedroom, and at least half the songs are so catchy that I find them playing in my head at random moments. For both of us, it‘s currently the number-one pick on our iPods. The songwriting is amazingly strong and every arrangement is perfect for its song. The musicianship is top notch, and Bergquist‘s singing is equal parts polished and sexy, demonstrating a stunning degree of expressive control.

I must admit, I have mixed feelings about drawing attention to OTR. For the moment, fans like Pam and I are able to attend their performances in relatively small clubs, without paying through the nose for tickets to see a band so far from our seats we can‘t distinguish their faces. However, some musicians are so deserving of success that it would be unfair not to let the entire world know about them.

Over the Rhine is currently touring, and I recommend you catch their live act if you get the chance; I think you‘ll be impressed. The Trumpet Child is available as a CD or an LP from OTR‘s Web site, or as a download from the iTunes Store. You can listen to alternate takes from the entire album on OTR‘s Web site.