A couple of the tunes on this album date back to 1994, when guitarist Ric “Monk” Hordinski was writing so much material, that he began separating his intimate, more atmospheric sketches from the arty pop epics manufactured for his full-time band, Over The Rhine. As it stands, the division was more substantial that just composer credits. While Rhine's music depends on clever, end-over-end twists, "Quiver" is much more personal, using subtle shades of string harmonies and the calmer, echoey settings from his guitar's effects pedal. Tunes like "One Eye Open" and “That's My Love" boast a simple pop façade. But as they slowly unfold, there are underpinnings of a murky darkness beneath the dusky melodies. It’s the same sort of art-oriented, beauty-in-isolation found in settings by Those Bastard Souls, Red House Painters, or His Name Is Alive.

The songs, of course, are shimmering and alluring, but Monk’s mysterious counterpoint and subtle intensity are more fully structured than background ambiance. And while there are plenty of incidental instrumentals between vocal tracks for Hordinski to flash a little prowess, the music on "Quiver" is still given to a guitarhead mentality.

By stacking up the tracks with meticulous textures and note perfect solos, Hordinski over-controls the music’s many complexities, instead of allowing the guitar tones to resonant effortlessly into the air. But folks into moody guitar masterpieces may find this to be an underrated gem.

(Flat Earth Records, 6900 South Gray Road, Indianapolis, IN 46237)