Too melancholy
MusicFan | Boston | 06/11/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Since I loved "Born on Flag Day" I picked this up when i saw it on promotion. Sadness permeates this release but it does have some good songs, it's just a tougher listen. IF BOFD wore it's influences on it's sleeve, this effort shows a maturity that demonstrates those influences have been synthesized and turned into a voice that stands on it's own. This voice is the equivalent of a charcoal drawing, it can be beautiful but it can also make you wonder what a splash of color would have brought to it."
Big Suprise
M. Jones | 06/12/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this album as the "album of the day" special, and I was really surprised at how much i love it. On the first listen I could tell this was an amazing album."
An underrated, and often under appreciated album
M. Slack | 07/09/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a long time Deer Tick fan, and about 1 out of 3 people I show them too are not terribly impressed. Maybe its John's harsh unconventional voice, or country pickin', or they are turned off because a new and well respected band is doing little to nothing to be "hip". After this initial dislike, I play Deer Tick around them enough, they always seem to come around. There is just an honestly, and infectious nature to John's songwriting and singing that is undeniable. They may not give a darn about their image, or if anything try to counteract this falseness that seems to loom around even some of the best bands, and get back to what was so great about early rock and roll. The Black Dirt Sessions keeps this trueness so to speak, and is my favorite of their album's to date. Something that "Black Dirt" has that neither War Elephant or Born on Flag Day is a cohesiveness and seriousness that was needed for the boys from RI, to fully mature as a band. Its not nearly as rambunctious as their previous albums, and certainly not as much as their Ep - More fuel for the Fire. But thats okay. It is a beautiful demonstration that they are capable of a variety of song types, and should not be disregarded in those respects. Mr. McCauley writes from a much more personal place, and lets us see a whole new side of Deer Tick."