Dex Romweber Duo, Ruins Of Berlin

By J Howell

The moniker “Dex Romweber Duo” is a little misleading on Ruins of Berlin, a record by a band ostensibly consisting of former Flat Duo Jet Romweber and his sister Sara on drums. Ten of the 14 tracks feature at least one other person, though the final track is Dex solo.

At first, it might seem that naming a duo after oneself might be just a little bit arrogant, but to be fair, Dex’s voice is the most and most consistently prominent feature on the non-instrumental tracks. Despite the title song’s association with Marlene Dietrich, the two operative words to describe this record are “dark” and “Southern.” While there is a sort of cabaret feel throughout, there’s something about this record that feels very Southern, and it’s not just Dex’s delivery. It’s a little tricky to quantify, but hard to miss, and quite enjoyable.

Of course, it’s impossible to discuss Ruins of Berlin without mentioning the stellar guest appearances here. The Romweber siblings have some very talented friends: Chan Marshall, Exene Cervenka, Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, and Southern Culture on the Skids’ Rick Miller feature prominently at one or more points on Ruins Of Berlin, as do bassist Robbie Link and saxophonist Bob Pence.

Chan Marshall’s duet with Dex, “Love Letter”, is lovely, though he seems at least twice as loud as her, and I’m still trying to figure out why Marshall is credited by her “band” name, seeing as the song is definitely more “Dex Romweber” than “Cat Power.” In any case, it’s a great, if not quite sublime, tune. Exene Cervenka’s first collaboration here, “Lonesome Train,” is similarly good if not transcendent, as she and Romweber both deliver vocals that might be more effective were they a little more tender or seductive, though there is something to be said for Dex’s raw, almost tortured presentation of the tune.

Awash in dark twang and reverb, as a whole Ruins of Berlin is an above-average affair that could be better in places. It’s an enjoyable record that tends to grow on the listener with repeated listens.

Mostly, while Romweber’s vocals are fine in and of themselves, they often seem slightly incongruous with the music, in places seeming a just little too dry and maybe a little too forceful for the slinky, sexy noir feel of much the music. It’s not a deal breaker by any stretch, but several of the songs could do with Dex reigning in the power of his voice and trading it for a little more restraint.

Overall, though, Ruins of Berlin is worth checking out, especially for Romweber fans, or for listeners who favor bands like Bloodshot labelmates Firewater, as there’s quite a bit of overlap in feel between the two. Good stuff.

Ruins of Berlin comes out on March 3. It is available from Bloodshot Records, where you can also listen to a couple of tracks from the album.

You can also check out the Dex Romweber Duo on the band’s Official Site or MySpace page.