Back when Rhode Island rock crooner John McCauley was hustling homemade CD-Rs and building a buzz, he did one thing completely right: He assembled a killer backup band to help realize his songwriting. The decision to name that band Deer Tick remains questionable, but now that they're nearly 10 albums deep, it's far too late for second thoughts.
The first time I saw Deer Tick live, I was baffled. My opinion hasn't changed much since. It is scientifically impossible to account for how, precisely, the band works. McCauley's high rasp is too broken; the songs are too derivative; the writing leans too heavily on cliches. Despite all that, once the bandmates get onstage and open up, it's like watching a moose get a running start and, somehow, take flight. They're pretty glorious to behold, especially after about 10 beers.
Deer Tick, Emotional Contracts
The story behind Deer Tick's upcoming LP, Emotional Contracts, is simple: They're having a blast rocking out together, and they enlisted a world-class producer to make it pop. Dave Fridmann has spent decades sculpting albums on the furthest fringes of what music industry vampires today describe as "adult alternative." His credits span from Mogwai and Sleater-Kinney to MGMT and the Flaming Lips. Fridmann has no signature sound; he just does his job, delivering punchy, spacious mixes of whatever his collaborators want to create.
For Deer Tick, that would be a set of the most straightforward radio rock they have ever delivered. Album opener "If I Try to Leave" sets the tone, bright and distinctly southern flavored. It gets washed away in a barrage of percussion by the funky opening breaks of "Forgiving Ties."
Guitarist Ian O'Neil steps up to the mic to sing lead on this second track, something he's done on occasion since 2011's Divine Providence. He's got a fine singing voice with an easygoing, everyman delivery. The track is undeniably catchy but also deliciously weird. I can only describe it as Elvis Costello doing Jimmy Buffett, which is neither a compliment nor a complaint.
The album really hits its stride with "Grey Matter" - which ends with one of the best rock screams I've heard in years - and "If She Could Only See Me Now." These upbeat honky-tonk numbers sound like something Joe Ely would have torn through on tour with the Clash, right down to the rowdy guitar solos. As much as I would love a whole album of this kind of material, Deer Tick have always been too voracious and curious to settle down like that.
Case in point: "Running From Love," which starts off like a Stax Records-era soul cover but soon veers into a vast stadium-rock finish. Considering that most of the lyrics are just the title repeated over and over, the song's riveting force reflects undeniably impressive craftsmanship.
As I've said, Deer Tick are a hell of a band. For all the airy '80s excess of these glittering arrangements, Emotional Contracts is still driven by the (half-)sibling rhythm section of Dennis Ryan on drums and Chris Ryan on bass.
They're both in full effect on "Once in a Lifetime" and "Disgrace," classic college radio fare with deep, funky pockets. Then the band takes another hard left, into Fleetwood Mac's backyard, for "My Ship," a heartbreaking short story about the mundane details of lost love. Cutting such a solemn song over such an easy, swinging groove was a brilliant move.
When O'Neil steps up front again for "A Light Can Go Out in the Heart," it's a bit of a showstopper - and not only for the emotionally raw content. The album seems to come to a halt. Even on such an eclectic LP, this is the one song that doesn't quite fit, but it's easy to hear why such a viscerally great performance made the final cut.
The album ends on an exceptional high note. "The Real Thing" is a slow barn burner of a ballad with some Led Zeppelin heft. It also happens to last nearly nine minutes, without ever exhausting the audience or descending into prog wank. The song ranks among the band's finest moments, a testament to its artistic growth over the past decade.
Deer Tick have a solid catalog, but Emotional Contracts is their strongest album yet. Despite wandering through several genres in the space of 10 tracks, this remains a remarkably lean, focused project - the sound of a band hungry for another decade of success.
While I'm still not signing up for their fan club, I would recommend catching Deer Tick live to just about anyone. They are very loud and very fun. Go watch that moose soar.
Deer Tick play the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington on Wednesday, June 7. Emotional Contracts will be available on June 16 at deertick.bandcamp.com.
