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Working to cover the music scene in a town like Austin can sometimes be a bit much, and the sad truth is, you sometimes don’t give much attention to deserving bands. Personally, I feel like all of Austin has largely ignored the continuous rise of Deep Time (the artists formerly known as Yellow Fever). Based on the music alone, their self-titled debut for Hardly Art Records, that should definitely change.
Immediately the duo of Jennifer Moore and Adam “not Pacman” Jones make their presence felt. “Bermuda Triangle” features an opening angular guitar knife, before the rolling rhythm moves into the track. Moore’s vocals loom large here, especially with her coy delivery of “oooohs.” It’s a minimal sound for sure, with the band keeping things to the basics, but they add slight finishing touches here and there that bring the songs to life, such as on “Sgt. Sierra” where light keyboard/bell sounds come in and out of the track.
For the most part, this is the group’s formula, and while it’s not necessarily the most inventive out there, it’s a formula that functions well throughout the duration of Deep Time. Listening to a track like “Homebody” you can’t help but to fall for the way Jones rolls in with his drums, perfectly accenting Moore’s vocal delivery. While her sharp vocal jabs are often more prominent, I really enjoy the warmth of her voice when it’s steady, as fans of her old band The Carrots can attest to I’m sure. One listen to the chorus here of “who cares if you never go home” and you’ll have as much appreciation for Deep Time as I do. There’s always this underlaying steadiness to the group’s songs that might go unnoticed, but maintaing a constant level of cool is difficult to do throughout an entire record, but they definitely accomplish that feat marvelously.
You can listen to “Gilligan,” which has sort of an abstract reference to the television show, and really appreciate the songwriting capabilities, particularly if you’re listening to the guitar work and the chorus. These might be my favorite moments on the whole record itself, but that’s one man’s opinion. And through it all, the band is still pushing themselves sonically; you’ll notice this when you listen to the album’s bookend track, “Horse.” This is perhaps the most diverse track on the whole record, with changing paces, switching directions, and even a hint of a galloping horse…let’s hope the the band keeps pushing themselves like this.
At times, the duo walks the line of tedium, but they’re able to get beyond that on this self-titled effort by sheer talent alone. Moore and Jones have always played well together, and changing their name to Deep Time isn’t going to change that. All in all, it’s a pretty artful record, filled with ambition and creativity that any listener should be able to enjoy.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/05-Homebody.mp3]
Download:Deep Time – Homebody [MP3]
Back to the friendly confines, Mohawk’s inside stage played host to the Mynabirds touring with locals Deep Time. Another local band My Jerusalem used the opening slot.
