Deer TickThe Black Dirt Sessions
Partisan Records [2010]
Fire Note Says: The Black Dirt Sessions stays in one dark mood but contains some bright tracks.
Album Review:
Deer Tick's sophomore record Born On Flag Day [2009] was just released last year but that did not stop band leader John J. McCauley from working near the end of 2009, which had him recording some of his most personal tracks to date. Those sessions are now presented on the bands third long player The Black Dirt Sessions and really explore some darker material like death, mortality, and the existence of God. The deepness of the lyrics also are supported by the music, as the record has a very somber tone in general and most of its tracks grind along with McCauley's somewhat nasally and weathered vocal leading the way. On some of the songs here like "Twenty Miles" and "Goodbye, Dear Friend", this approach really hits a good nerve but by the end of the record's 46 minutes, the same tone wears on you a bit. Overall, The Black Dirt Sessions is not a bad record but just stays in one zone, as it would have been nice to see Deer Tick expand out from McCauley's comfort zone.
Key Tracks: "Goodbye, Dear Friend", "Twenty Miles", "Piece By Piece And Frame By Frame"
Bands With Similar Fire:
Smog
Gram Parsons
Slobberbone
Deer Tick: Born On Flag Day [Fire Note Review 6/29/09]
Official Deer Tick Website
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Partisan Records
-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony
1 comments:
The Black Dirt Sessions were recorded during the *same recording session* that Born on Flag Day was recorded on, not late in 2009.
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