Deer Tick

The differences between alt country and indie country are subtle, yet definite. War Elephant, the debut studio album from Deer Tick, is the latter. It's the sound of kids, not men, raised on Guided by Voices and Brit pop, who are now wandering classic American rock and folk in search of an identity. Peppy sing-alongs like "Standing at the Threshold" and "These Old Shoes" feel more informed by the Kinks' version of country on Muswell Hillbillies than, say, the Outlaws or even Gram Parsons.