Review: Common Deer “II” (Self-Released)


COMMON DEER
II
(Self-Released)

Toronto’s Common Deer began in 2013 when Graham McLaughlin (guitar, violin) Liam Farrell (drums) and Adam Hart-Owens (multi-instruments) met while attending university. Additional members include Connor Farrell (bass), and Sheila Hart-Owens (vocals, keyboards). Their debut EP was released in January of 2017 and now they return with an ambitious follow-up simply titled II. The drums are bigger. The synths are bolder. The vocals are higher. They aim for the sky and for the most part they succeed. Mistakes features a spoken-word bridge which came across as a bit jolting when compared to the rest of the soaring vocals but perhaps that’s the point. The instrumentation is familiar yet fresh, with synthesizer patches straight from Stranger Things’ The Upside Down. Instead of dwelling in the noir, Common Deer bring floodlights to illuminate the darkness. Anthems like Wonder grab us by the hand and lead us through these confusing times, providing the reassurance we all seem to be looking for.

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ON TOUR
Feb 15 Petit Campus Montréal, Canada
Feb 16 27 Club Ottawa, Canada
Mar 08 The High Watt Nashville, TN
Mar 09 The Masquerade Atlanta, GA
Mar 11 White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX
Mar 12 The Rustic Dallas, TX
Mar 20 The Hotel Cafe Los Angeles, CA
Mar 21 Hotel Utah San Francisco, CA
Mar 27 The Starlite Room – Temple Edmonton, Canada
Mar 30 Amigos Saskatoon, Canada
Apr 02 Amsterdam Bar & Hall St Paul, MN
Apr 05 Reggies Music Joint Chicago, IL
Apr 06 Pike Room @ The Crofoot Pontiac, MI
Apr 07 The Rumba Room Columbus, OH
Apr 08 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, OH

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