Deer Tick

Divine Providence is Deer Tick’s fourth album in just five years, dishing out a release that wears an invisible ‘we don’t give a damn about your expectations’ sticker on its sleeve.

The Rhode Island quintet’s latest effort sounds a darn side edgier than the usual tunes one might expect from Deer Tick. Out go the purist alt-country/folk rock arrangements to make way for some edgier, rabble-dabble compositions – soaked in booze, debauchery and sweat.

Frontman John McCauley lets rip with opener ‘The Bump’, a stomping honky tonker with self-explanatory lyrics such as “I got a lust for life and a dangerous mind!”.
Equally, ‘Funny Word’ leaves little to the imagination with the charming opening line “You fucking douche bag”… It rocks, with great keys, a grungy guitar sound and McCauley more yelling than singing at times.

Although the album was recorded in the band’s native Rhode Island, the very fast and very punky ‘Lets Go To The Bar’ sure is destined to become the ultimate “let’s get pissed’ anthem over here, too. British lager louts, unite!
‘Clowning Around’ not only has a rather misleading title but is also misleading in melody and topic. It’s a song about hiding your demons and true emotions behind a mask of white face paint, though it’s not McCauley who does the face painting here. Instead, it’s the band’s drummer Dennis Ryan who switches to main vocals on the number. Granted, Ryan does a good enough job but his voice misses snarling attitude… something that leading deer McCauley has got in spades.

If ‘Main Street’ – in title at least – reminds of a certain Rolling Stones record, then well, I hate to break the news that the title is where the similarity ends. Musically, it’s more like a rough-cut Kinks gem.

All’s back again in fast and furious mode with ‘Something To Brag About’, while ‘Walkin Out The Door’ has yet another band member taking over lead vox duties. This time it’s guitarist Ian O’Neil who’s delivering some country-rock hinged goods.

The rock ballad ‘Make Believe’ is a musical hybrid of Neil Young and Leonard Cohen influences, with Deer Tick’s own unique sound chucked in. The result? A great song, albeit the most ‘polished’ one of the entire album.
Another ballad-style number is the Paul Westerberg-like ‘Now It’s Your Turn’ (again it’s O’Neil on lead vox for this one) – plenty of semi-bombastic riff work adds the yang to the ballad’s yin.

Things really slow down and tone down with the string-dominated ‘Electric’ and as for the closing track, Deer Tick (almost) go back to their folkie/alt-country roots with the upbeat and Dylanesque ‘Miss K’.
Inspired, uncompromising, raw and heartfelt – Divine Providence is a worthy fifth addition to the band’s already impressive output!