Girlfinder Songs #8 - "Give Me Strength"
@teamfreak16 (43642)
Denver, Colorado
December 4, 2018 1:46pm CST
I finally managed to pull out the old Girlfinder today, and it found a good one! We are at #8: "Give Me Strength" by Over the Rhine.
Christian bands that identify as such but choose to play only secular music aren't extremely common, but they are out there. Cincinnati, Ohio's Over the Rhine is one such group, having made a career out of playing indie folk-style rock, yet have routinely appeared on the bills at Christian music festivals over the years. Over the Rhine is, essentially, the husband and wife team of Karin Bergquist (vocals/acoustic guitar/piano,) and multi-instrumentalist Linford Detweiler, along with various accompanying musicians. In addition to their work inside their own group, Detweiler and Bergquist have also toured as members of Cowboy Junkies. And yet, they only have a cult following. A fairly sizeable following, but they are hardly as popular as they should be.
For their 2001 album (their sixth,) Films for Radio, the duo aimed for a more pop-oriented sound, and pulled it off seemingly effortlessly. Particularly with the record's third track, "Give Me Strength." The tune, co-written by Dido Armstrong (surely you remember Dido? Her 1999 album, No Angel, sold over 21 million copies worldwide,) Pascal Gabriel (who appears on Films for Radio,) and Paul Statham,) is the only song on the album not written by either Bergquist or Detweiler. It is definitely a tune aimed straight at the radio, and frankly, it's a damn shame that it didn't end up on the airwaves.
Oh well, not all hits are great songs, and not all great songs are hits. This is one that fell through the cracks.
(Info verified by Wikipedia)
2 people like this
2 responses
@teamfreak16 (43642)
• Denver, Colorado
6 Dec 18
They are out there. Evanescence was one. Chevelle is another.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Dec 18
I never heard of them before. Their sound has that 90s vibe that was en vogue. Strange they were not played more.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43642)
• Denver, Colorado
4 Dec 18
Their overall sound really doesn't fit into a specific radio format, other than maybe an NPR-type of station, and I've never even heard them on one of those.
1 person likes this



