Deer Tick – Mayonnaise
Partisan Records – 1 February 2019
“Mayonnaise” is a solid new release from Deer Tick, the Providence, RI-bred band that now splits time and members between the smallest U.S. state and Nashville, TN. Their songs often reflect the gritty streets of the ageing industrial city of their birth, one that has recently been re-branded as “the creative capital.”
Deer Tick spreads out a bit on “Mayonnaise,” with styles ranging from folk to punk to rock. It’s a blended release, a mix of alternative versions of songs from the recent “Volume 1” and “Volume 2,” as well as a few outtakes and some interesting covers. Lead singer and chief songwriter John McCauley displays widespread influences on the album – from the Beatles and Stones to the Velvet Underground and a melodic Tom Petty. Indeed, there are some tender ballads, but also several of those wild romping songs that make you want to stand up and smash a bottle against the wall (Warning: Do not attempt at home.)
The album opens with the rootsy grunge-inspired Bluesboy, full of screaming guitars and near desperate vocals from McCauley. And some desperate songwriting to go along:
“I remember my imagination/I remember feeling it racing
Nowadays I just sit there tracing/Spirals in the palm of my hand.”
The alternative version of Limp Right Back, originally recorded on 2017’s “Deer Tick Vol. 1,” is a mellow apologetic ballad with a retro-sounding sax solo. “But I can limp right back, I’ll put things back together,” sings McCauley.
The band really kicks out the jams on White City, an earth-shaking Pogues cover. The song tells the story of the tearing down of a race track in London – it’s a punk rock Big Yellow Taxi, although this a more kick-ass version of paradise. The song alone is worth the price of admission.
Another cover, the Velvet Underground classic Pale Blue Eyes, is stripped down to basics and features guitarists Ian O’Neil on vocals. George Harrison’s Run of the Mill is a well-done deep cut, this time with drummer Dennis Ryan leading on vocals. These songs may not sound like typical Deer Tick, but they do demonstrate this band’s range and talent.
Additional highlights include “Strange Awful Feeling,” a stuck in the ditch song, something this band is really good at. “It’s known I’ve walked this road before/and rapped upon the devil’s door/to see if he’d let an old friend in again,” sings McCauley, a songwriter who’s had more than a few meetings at the crossroads.
Memphis Chair is a charming little piano/sax-driven instrumental with a bluesy feel and the Memphis-laced Too Sensitive for This World, a Ben Vaughn cover, features a funky R&B vibe. Surely, a lot of variety on this release.
Although the album lacks that elusive central theme, it’s certainly a fine collection for longtime fans and serves as a nice introduction for those less familiar with the band. Give it a listen!