Ruins of Berlin

Album Review

Dexter Romweber has been making music since Flat Duo Jets called it a day in 1998, but not much of it has been making it onto record, and Ruins of Berlin, credited to the Dex Romweber Duo (with his sister Sara Romweber, formerly of Let's Active, on drums) is only his third album to appear in the ten-plus years since his old band rode off into the sunset. Anyone who wonders if Romweber has lost his touch during his layoff (or in the five years since his last album, 2004's Blues That Defy My Soul) will be happy to know that Ruins of Berlin confirms he's still a guitarist, songwriter, and singer to reckon with. However, this isn't the Flat Duo Jets, even if the simple instrumentation and frequent nods to the musical past are familiar stuff; while the FDJ's at their best were a ball of frantic energy, Ruins of Berlin is the sound of a more measured and contemplative Dexter Romweber. There's little in the way of amped-up rockabilly here (though the opener, "Lookout," finds Romweber trading some speedy licks with Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids), and atmospheric midtempo numbers like "Lover's Gold," "Camilla's Gone (Let It Snow)," and "People" (no, not the Barbra Streisand oldie) are more consistent with the album's mood. But anyone who ever spent much time listening to the Flat Duo Jets knows Romweber's taste for classic jazz and pop tunes has always informed his music, and on Ruins of Berlin, he's just allowed them to take a larger place in the picture, alongside the faux-Eastern European folk of "Polish Work Song," the fractured guitar workout of "Grey Skies," and the jaunty travelogue of the title tune. Romweber also gets some well-deserved payback from longtime fans Neko Case, Chan Marshall, and Exene Cervenka, all of whom contribute lovely guest vocals to this set, and if you're afraid this might be a rock & roll-free set, "Picture" and "Cigarette Party" both generate enough heat to make fans happy. If this is a somewhat more sedate effort than the hot-wired Flat Duo Jets of yore, Ruins of Berlin shows Dexter Romweber's passion and gifts are as strong as ever, and the result is a compelling album from a one of a kind talent with plenty to offer.