CD Reviews for 10/04/11 – Deer Tick

Written by Dan Ferguson on October 5, 2011 and posted in Boudin Barndance Reviews .
Compact Capsules
by Dan Ferguson

Deer Tick
Divine Providence
Partisan Records

Deer Tick has always been loyal to the home base and with its latest Divine Providence, they take it right to the title. Raw and loud on the live side (and even going to lobe-pummeling proportions on recent occasions via its Deervana alter ego), the more rootsy undercurrent of Deer Tick on its three prior albums hasn’t always been a true litmus test of the stage show. Perhaps the Deervana has rubbed off some on the Tick part of the equation as Divine Providence turns a page on the recording side of the ledger giving us for all intents and purposes a glorious and full-bodied rock and roll record. It’s about fuckin’ time. The album comes out like gangbusters with amped-up shades of everything from Jonathan Richman’s “Roadrunner” (the hard-driving rawk of “Let’s All Go to the Bar”) to the Spector-esque feel of “Main Street” over four of its first 5 cuts. There are gems that rank with the best of DT past (the aforementioned “Main Street” and “Make Believe”), not to mention the album marking the emergence of guitarist Ian O’Neil and Dennis Ryan on the vocal front. Wearing its R&R stripes proudly from beginning to end, Divine Providence from Deer Tick is teeth-sinker of a record.

Deer Tick celebrate the release of Divine Providence at The Met Cafe on October 12 and 13. The Met Cafe is located in the Hope Artiste Village at 10005 Main Street in Pawtucket.

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(Dan Ferguson is a free-lance music writer and host of The Boudin Barndance, broadcast Thursday nights from 6 – 9 pm on WRIU-FM 90.3. He lives in Peace Dale and can be reached at [email protected].)