Rainer Maria

Anyone in Love With You (Already Knows) (Polyvinyl)
by Tim Den

The title is a clever giveaway: This here’s a live DVD/CD, perfect to sing along to for all them Rainer Maria fans who can’t wait for the band’s next time in town. Included is material from every stage of their career (sans the demo/7″ days), including the blissful “Artificial Light,” the awkward “Long Knives,” the tranquil “Rise,” and many more.

The DVD captures an entire set recorded last year at Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. Multiple cameras, soundboard-quality audio, lots of energy from both the band and the audience, and a special encore closer of “Situation: Relation.” An honest representation of the band’s infectious live show, guitarist/vocalist Kyle Fischer leaping all over the stage like a punk rock ballerina (got the muscle and sinew for it, for sure). The CD is more of a mixed bag… Some soundboard takes, some mini-disk recordings, but all rather true to the nature of the performances (no overdubs) and spontaneity. Man, I had forgotten how good “Spit and Fire” is (and how lame “The Seven Sisters” is).

Since Long Knives Drawn wasn’t exactly a runaway hit for Rainer Maria, it’s anybody’s guess if this thing’s gonna sell. Hopefully, Anyone in Love With You (Already Knows) will be the conclusion of a chapter, rather than the end of the story for these guys.
(www.polyvinylrecords.com)