Divine Providence by Deer Tick

To give an idea of the general manner of Deer Tick, it’s important to know that their name was settled upon when lead guitarist and singer/songwriter John McCauley found a deer tick attached to his scalp after a hike. He then decided that deer tick sounded “cool.” I guess that’s sort of an anti-climactic way to name a band, but it’s also pretty candid, amusing and rock and roll—an accurate description of the band itself. Deer Tick occasionally surprise their audience by playing a set of Nirvana covers, while dubbing themselves “Deervana.” Following suit with their whiskey-induced fourth album, Divine Providence, the band got a little unruly while recording in their hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, and McCauley doesn’t hold back his growling tone.

While listening to Divine Providence I imagine the band in a permanent drunken stupor, pub crawling their way into the daylight. However, they gladly invite listeners to join in while dubbing them “douche bags.” You have to admit, it is kind of endearing, and curiously enough, I accept the invitation. The album kicks off with “The Bump,” which has a loud, rambunctious sound and macho lyrics: “I’m at your function /and I'm an animal/I'm in your town/Got a warrant out”. Almost immediately I am attracted to this very masculine sound, and I know that I’m in for a good time.”Funny Word” follows as a mediocre second track that serves as a gentle leeway into the debauchery stricken “Let’s All Go to the Bar” which is mostly self-explanatory. I was halfway expecting something like this, but wasn’t expecting to kind of enjoy it with lyrics like: “I don’t care if you puke in my ride! LET’S ALL GO TO THE BAR!” and a possible unnecessary finale of the band belching.

Another point of interest, “Clownin Around” is loaded with images of John Wayne Gacy, lethal injection and somber humming: “Oh, Lord you know I would repent/ but now the devil he speaks for me/and the icy needle kisses my veins.” This is not the first time that we’ve heard an indie rock song with sympathies towards the serial killer (see: Sufjan Stevens). However, Deer Tick approach the subject in an unusual way, and in all of their ridiculousness they end the track with clown music. The album concludes on a heartfelt note with “Cake and Eggs”, which is also my favorite song from the album. Maybe it’s because McCauley’s wife Nikki Darlin (of Those Darlins’) sings alongside him or perhaps because it’s a nice change of pace. Either way, I’m chiming along to lyrics like, “When you’re in jail and you can’t make bail, I’ve got the money.” How sweet?

After listening to this album, I felt an overall sense of gratitude for making it out without a single cigarette burn. I feel certain that the band was trying to expel their assumed genre of alt-country or folk by making some sweaty, raw, beer-spilling rock n’roll album. If that’s the case, they have succeeded.