When The Deer Wore Blue

I am surprised this is only the second review on here... Other sites do not have any review... wow. This disc slowly crept onto my radar via the song "The Air We Breathe". I am glad it did. The disc is full of 60's style guitars, Beach Boy style melodies, all with a fresh, futuristic sound. I attribute this to the singer. If you don't like the falsetto on "The Air We Breathe", you will NOT like this band... if you find yourself singing the song for days, you will LOVE Figurines.When The Deer Wore Blue is a more cohesive album than their previous album Skeleton. From the pounding drums/singable chorus on the opener all the way to the 7th track, there is not a song worth skipping. "The Air We Breathe" has this Brian Wilson/Barry Gibb vibe to start, before morphing in a totally new direction. The song closes as strong as it opens. "Hey Girl", "Bee Dee", and "Let's Head Out" are pure fun, evoking the better side OF MONTREAL. The latter track has a nice pairing of organ and grooving guitar that works perfectly. And what a chorus... pure indie-pop (forgive the term) bliss."Drove You Miles" and "Good Old Friends" are insanely creepy and you will love them. Both remind me of being on the road, slightly intoxicated, during wee hours of the night with some people I may not have known for long, and may soon never see again. "It breaks me to see you cry, and it hurts when you can't deny/but it thrills me to see you're someone more than I love/We met up with good old friends and we talked all thru the night/One said is the fire burning out and another closed his eyes". Wow... simple words evoke such indescribable feelings."Half Awake Half Aware" would not seem out of place in 1967, yet seems completely fresh even with a chorus reminiscent of the Turtles and the Grass Roots. "Angels of the Bayou" reminds me of the sound I wish the Velvet Underground was still making.Just when I expect the album to fade out into filler, they throw out a few gems. "Cheap Place to Spend the Night" is a beautiful trip... great organ, great transitions, great keys. "Everyone", an instrumental, starts with psychedelic, spaced out guitars that make for a formidable beginning to the end of a fantastic album. This and the previous track "Lips of the Soldier" would do nicely as a pair squished together.This album should gain notoriety as the years pass. Hopefully a future release will garner some praise, and lead people back to this gem. Pure and perfect, simple yet complex, "When the Deer Wore Blue" is a masterpiece. Highly recommended.

Although some might say the figurines are "maturing," a lot of hard work was put into this album, and it payed off. The 3rd full length effort from the band (with the first not being released in the US) sounds a bit reminiscent of the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" in the way it was mixed. Very trippy, very fun! This is definitely going to end up on my 2007's Top 10 list.

This is definitely one of my favorite albums of all time. Listening to it evokes so many feelings I love. Every song is great. Simple, yet complex and full of bliss.