"Two years ago, young singer/songwriter Nathan Holscher (pictured) released his second album, Even the Hills,
a moody, mesmerizing slab of ethereal, transcendent Americana that
helped make Holscher — then a relatively new Cincinnati resident after
a few years bouncing around the Midwest and South — a much buzzed-about
local artist. Holscher has taken the formula from his debut and
improved on it with the new release, Hit the Ground. And this
time he’s not alone, using the name “Nathan Holscher & the Ohio 5”
to give props to his current back-up band of ace local players.
It’s
fitting that this isn’t marked as a solo release, because the band
definitely helps give Holscher’s intimate story-songs more presence.
There is a clear chemistry between the songwriter and the group, and
the chemistry between Holscher and producer/guitarist Ric Hordinski (who also recorded Hills) once again proves to be magical.
Holscher’s
gruff, whispery vocals are so engaging they immediately draw the
listener through the atmospherics and straight to the guts of his
characterdriven tales. The album seethes twilight sadness, thanks to
the full combined efforts of all involved. Like Hills, expect Hit the Ground to get attention from Americana outlets across the country, in Europe and beyond."
-Mike Breen, CityBeat, August 26, 2009
To see the on-line version, visit http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-18616-hit-the-ground-soaring.html