I found Over the Rhine on a sunny spring day in 2007, while killing time in my favourite stationary/bookstore. A song was playing over the speakers in the multimedia section of the 3-floor building, and I just couldn’t contain myself—I had to go and ask for the album.
It was Discount Fireworks, a compilation album that consisted of songs from their previous albums. I listened to it a couple of times. Some songs were too slow for my taste. Two songs stuck though.
Slow down. Hold still.
It’s not as if it’s a matter of will.
I think the contrasting tempos between the vocals and the instruments is what gets me. It feels like the guitars are strumming faster than they’re supposed to, riled up by the drums beating faster than they should.
I can’t say I connect with the rest of the lyrics, but the opening lines and its repetition carries the sentiment forward and throughout the song, enough to make the song a favourite go-to when I’m feeling hopeless and down.
Near the end of same year, they released a new album; Individually it had no songs that I liked—or listened to—more than All I Need is Everything, but I still I enjoyed the whole album more.
One of my favourite songs from the album is a procrastinators dream, and sometimes I wake up with it stuck in my head.