I adore Deer Tick. I would admit that if they had only ever released Sea Of Cloud, a song for the generations, that would do me, but they just get better and better. I mentioned during my review of last year's Emotional Contracts that the song selection was pared down from many more.
You can read that review here. Contractual Obligations consists of 8 of the songs that didn't make that album. Suffice to say that these songs would match others' fresh offerings. The band have such a fine ability to mix genres seldom seen elsewhere.
Deer Tick mix Indie, Rock and Americana in such a melodic way. I can only think of The Successful Failures who are able transform Americana into something nearer Guitar Pop. Here, though, only Goodbyes enters Americana territory and that adds a great orchestral like close.
This is a great Rock album, at times Indie Rock, built on big choruses and riffs, you can sing along and still shake your fist. Sacrosanct isn't a million miles away from Power Pop. Waisting Time has a real Brandon Flowers feel to the vocal which is matched to a killer riff.
The Last Book On The Shelf is great Classic Rock, even Blues Rock at times and Life Insurance sort of mixes The E Street Band with Ska, I Know!, but it works so well. Big Black Hearse could be a Revue song, very The Commitments.
Die On A Hill is more 12 Bar, but adds an interupting Flute that makes you think that Ian Anderson is guesting. Then there is On Fire, the strangest thing here and it is short but enthralling, almost Robert Plant 70s mode with psych overtones. I don't hear a better Rock band around than Deer Tick presently.
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and as a download.
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