DEERPEOPLE (@deerpeople), a six-member outfit hailing from Oklahoma, released their eponymous debut EP to great success last year and have continued to gain momentum with their fearless method of crafting songs. Too many indie bands today get stuck on seeking a particular “sound” instead of allowing creativity to come naturally and without limits. DEERPEOPLE, unlike the majority, have plugged into a hyper-hot transistor that fluctuates and changes their sound along the way.
The collection of five songs from their debut EP covers a large expanse of sonic ground and gracefully toes the line between indie-rock and pysch-folk. It opens with “Dr. Gay Washington”, a tender but rollicking folk number. Moving through acoustic guitar and meandering violin flavors, DEERPEOPLE slowly open the floodgate, allowing the song to grow with power as crunching electric guitars and banging piano chords come up from below. “New Dance” moves into epic indie rock territory that shines with a kind of Arcade Fire phosphorescence that burns brightly. “Seatttttle” marks the high point on the EP. Here, DEERPEOPLE’s songwriting craft is at its peak, moving between sections of driving rock, gypsy carnival music, and meandering organ-swells.
Throughout the listening of this EP I was continually intrigued by their ability to skirt around different genres while still remaining one cohesive whole. Most of all, though, the fervor with which the band plays together and their audible sweat make this collection of five songs very remarkable.
Though the band is currently only playing one-off shows in Missouri and Colorado this September, the promise of new music should be enough to hold over the rest of us. Be sure to keep an eye out for their new EP later this fall.
