Deer Tick: Born on Flag Day

Label: Partisan

When a band’s records come out on in the context of an indie label, something in your head automatically orients them as being “underground” or an alternative to something or other. Which might be why I’d overlooked Deer Tick before—this quartet plays straight-up rusty rustic roots-pop, with a mainstream sound and no pretensions to anything otherwise. Frontman John Joseph McCauley III’s raspy vocals can feel a little too raspy at times, but they don’t seem affected, and Born on Flag Day — as he apparently is — features ten Southern-fried rave-ups that would do Hank Williams (the first!) proud, if he were around to hear them. (McCauley has cited old Hank as the main inspiration for his musical direction, coming of age in the noise-rock-dominated Providence, RI.) Lotsa highlights here — plenty of tasteful arrangements and a fair bit of pedal steel and harmonica to be found — but the highest of them all is the lean, sweetly snappy duet with band-friend Liz Isenberg, “Friday XIII.” (M.L. Thrope)