More focused than War Elephant, Deer Tick's sophomore album, Born on Flag Day, is comprised of ten songs in the straight-up stylings of indie rock and Americana. Vocalist John Joseph McCauley III's singing is still raspy, like a down-home version of Axl Rose, but here, he and his crew flesh out their woodsy sensibilities with a larger scope. This more expansive take builds "Smith Hill" to higher heights with the inclusion of orchestral backing tracks and rounds out "Stung," the tender '60s ballad of the record, with touches of electric piano. The sound is bigger, and the hooks are more palpable. By sacrificing grit, some of the charm that made the debut a success is lost along the way, but the sleeker production is only a minor setback and some of the songs onboard are Deer Tick's best thus far. Even with a heavy helping of spiteful, desperate lyrics delivered straight from the bottom of the bottle, the sparkling production makes Deer Tick seem like a likely crossover to the mainstream: especially fans of Tom Petty and John Prine. Following the blueprint of some of the sweeter moments on War Elephant, pedal steel and tremolo guitars make "White Lies" a heartwarming mood piece before it switches gears and springs into a rollicking romp, and the first two minutes of "Song About a Man" wisely capitalize on the cigarette-weary singer's ability to shine with only an acoustic and a kick drum, before bringing in harmonica and cello for the climax. The leadoff, "Easy," is probably the most amiable and accessible song of the bunch, clearly illustrating that McCauley's songwriting has matured substantially.
Deer Tick have announced the release of their highly anticipated sophomore album. Born On Flag Day will be released on June 23rd.We've got cover art (above) and a track listing (below):Easy Little White LiesSmith Hill Song About A ManHouston, TX Straight Into A StormFriday XIII The Ghost Hell On Earth Stung Deer Tick's websiteDeer Tick's Myspace
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Damn. I’ve been fighting battles with hosting companies, blogging software, airports, airplanes and bi-coastal trips. It’s good to sit down with a drink and listen to some music again.“Smith Hill” is the second track offered up by Deer Tick and their recent release Born On Flag Day. Get in there while I track down my [...]
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Two "alt-country" artists on the road together is a guaranteed recipe for some late-night whiskey drinking. And since Deer Tick's John McCauley has been doing the alt-country thing since he was 18, I'm assuming he's a pro at finishing off a bottle of Maker's Mark. But can Neko Case keep up? We shall see, as Deer Tick joins Neko on the road for five shows, but not before they play with pals Jonn...
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Albums that missed our Top 60 Albums list, but at least one of our writers loves.Artist: Deer Tick Album: Born on Flag Day Label: Partisan Image: http://www.popmatters.com/images/blog_art/d/deertick_flagday.jpg Display Width: 200 It seems to be the nature of the world to chafe at any spot of contentment in your life, and Born on Flag Day captures that sense of being at odds with your surroundin...
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I know that the economy is pretty shitty right now and that you might not have the extra cash chillin in your pockets for awesome band performances on a Tuesday night so we have made arrangements for two pairs of tickets (name on guest list actually) for Deer Tick at The Rhythm Room tomorrow Tuesday, Oct 5th 2009 (In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ). This will allow you to go SEE and HEAR the...
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Deer Tick is all set to release the long anticipated follow up to their debut, War Elephant, on June 23rd via Partisan Records. The new album is called Born on Flag Day. The cover art is above. “Easy” is below.Deer Tick - Easy
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 "Born on Flag Day")
