Like buses (yeah I know, I should go for a less stayed cliche, but come on – you can’t beat a decent cliche sometimes) you wait for ages an album from Rhode Islands Deer Tick – four years to be precise since 2013’s negativity, and all of a sudden two come along at once. The band have just announced the release of the two albums Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2 (clearly four years aren’t quite long enough to muse over titles, but we’ll forgive them) via Partisan Records on September 15th.
As if that wasn’t enough, the band have shown two sides of their artistic cannon, with Vol.1 highlighting the bands lighter side – filled with acoustic folk rock, while Vol. 2 harder edge punk/garage sounds, The Replacements an obvious reference. They’ve released a little teaser from each of the records, Sea of Clouds from Vol.1, while It’s a Whale has been lifted from Vol.2
Sea of Clouds has this Americana lilt, acoustic layers and some rather lovely vocal harmonies adding to this comfort blanket of a song, that wraps you up and keeps you safe. Throw in a little double flute work, like something lifted from a Kevin Ayres track (one for the kids) just before the close and its impossible to resist.
In many ways It’s a Whale is similarly irresistable, but for entirely different reasons – the Jekyll & Hyde the band talk about of the recording process is evident, and there’s this bristling punk feel, with a healthy dose of Pixies thrown in for good measure about Vol. 2’s track.
Welcome back. You’ve been missed.
