Edward Deer’s debut full-length album, About Monsters, isn’t as terrifying as you might think.
His monsters, it appears, are of the regressive, sentimental kind. The kind of monsters which come to visit from time to time, rearing their head during unguarded moments in the form of bittersweet memories of lost loves, unfulfilled hopes, and all other kinds of vaguely discontented musings.
The record was written, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered largely by Deer himself, with some assistance from friend (and Cogel bandmate) Nic Cogels. While producing a record largely by oneself is an impressive feat for a musician, often there lacks an outside ear ready to offer a much needed ‘no’.
Such was the case with Deer and the end result is that About Monsters appears capricious and aimless in places. A sizable portion of the record is dominated by an out-of-place, roughhewn feel, which leaves the album conceptually fragmented and discordant.
In saying this, the opening number, ‘Washed Ashore’ is a cognisant affirmation of Deer’s talent and is reminiscent of his contemporaries such as Hayden Calnin and Radical Face. Beautifully crafted from the opening haunting whistle and acoustic gambol, the track is genuinely arresting, showing the breadth of Deer’s potential and discipline.
The subsequent ‘With Ease’, ‘Stealing Shadows’ and Deer’s version of Tom Waits’ ‘Clap Hands’ are solid offerings as well, it must be said.
It’s not soon after the Waits cover that About Monsters stumbles towards a lull that it unfortunately doesn’t quite recover from. Deer’s debut shows signs of great potential; a potential that isn’t quite lived up to unfortunately.
