Nervous Tick

Easily passed over as trad-rock revivalists or lumped alongside free-folk troubadours like Devendra Banhart, Deer Tick didn’t receive quite the reception they deserved when their long-time-coming debut War Elephant hit in ’07. While primary songwriter John McCauley may latch onto a strictly American aesthetic—ornamenting traditionalist Midwestern tunes and tin-can country with his loose-lipped vocals—Deer Tick are far more redolent of the progressive flourishes of Blitzen Trapper, couched in the same casual rock as the Traveling Wilburys. Reportedly at work on a follow-up due this summer, Deer Tick’s performance should reveal a noteworthy band in the early stages of maturation, a little unsure of their footing, but managing to keep ahead of step with alarming ease.
Sat., March 14, 9 p.m., 2009