Deer Chicago - "Lantern Collapse"/"Rolling of the Ocean"

(Self-released, 2011)

Deer Chicago frontman Jonny Payne (he should have been a punk-rocker) will no doubt have been sad, as many local music fans were, at the news of Winchell Riots calling it quits. Even if the Phil McMinn show didn’t have a direct influence on Deer Chicago’s sound then we can safely assume that the two songwriters have a similar record collection. Moreover, both songwriters rely upon a glacial, emotive, and deceptively simple post-rock framework to build pop songs which allow their lofty, urgent and vowel-heavy vocal deliveries to take flight.

That’s a rather roundabout way of saying that the two bands are quite similar. But fortunately Deer Chicago have just enough of their own stuff going on to give them their own unique charm. ‘Lantern Collapse’ is a very well written song, even if it doesn’t reveal itself immediately. On repeated listens the vocal and bass melodies subtly weave their way into your head while the surprising powerhouse drumming manages to avoid drowning-out the elegant majesty of the shimmering guitar or undermining the soft, thoughtful bass-line. The unexpected explosion of distortion in the chorus is a welcome addition too, adding a splash of colour to the otherwise autumnal scene that the song evokes.

‘Rolling of the Ocean’ follows in a similar fashion, albeit at a faster pace and with a glockenspiel solo for good measure. Lyrically, both songs risk becoming parodies of typical indie fodder (oceans and distant, flashing lights) but the sentiments accrue a hint of poetry in the spacious musical backdrop. Truth be told, ‘Rolling of the Ocean’ is the lesser of the two tracks, sounding like a rehash of the title track, although one can imagine a place for both songs in the live setting where Deer Chicago have become an increasingly appealing local prospect.

On one hand, there’s nothing on offer here that you won’t have heard before, and you will either want to get in on the Deer Chicago action or leave them well alone. But if you spin that around, Deer Chicago do what they do very well and their songs are well written, structured and executed. As far as the local indie pack goes, these boys have earned their spot as one of the bands to watch. Considering Deer Chicago formed on a whim it’s all the more impressive that they’ve turned into the hardworking band they now are, honing the emotive sound of their early material to create the focussed, craftsman-like music that the humble three-piece now makes. Perhaps the Phil McMinn-shaped hole in the local music scene could soon be filled by a Jonny Payne-shaped one.

[Originally published on Musicinoxford.co.uk, 01/11/2011]

http://www.musicinoxford.co.uk/2011/11/01/deer-chicago-lantern-collapserolling-of-the-ocean/