War Elephant

iTunes Review

Deer Tick’s John McCauley had a musical epiphany (involving Hank Williams records) when he was barely out of high school, and he hasn’t looked back since. His debut, War Elephant, was recorded at the ripe old age of 19, and while it’s a decidedly admirable and quite enjoyable effort, it’s also one that exemplifies youthful exuberance: self-editing does not come easily to the newly impassioned. With a pinched, crackling voice (reminiscent of a grittier John Prine), McCauley possesses a terrific feel for country and alt.country music, and wears his influences (such as Prine and Williams) proudly. McCauley’s strong affection for melodious guitar-picking (“Art Isn’t Real”), the legacy of the Byrds and Dylan (“Long Time,” “Diamond Rings 2007”), and some wonderfully evocative, guitar-heavy brooding (“Standing At the Threshold,” “Not So Dense”) delivers. While the world may not need another perplexing cover of “What Kind of Fool Am I?,” we’ll likely always thirst for more great tunes borne of foot-stomping blues and American roots music (“Spend the Night,” “Baltimore Blues, No. 1”), and Deer Tick is up to the task. They’re just getting warmed up.