Emotional Contracts is a 2023 studio album by American indie rock band Deer Tick, released on ATO Records.
Reception Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3 out of 5 stars, with critic Fred Thomas writing this album "finds Deer Tick operating at full power and making very few advancements from previous albums, seeing no need to fix what isn't broken with their meat-and-potatoes, blue-collar rock sound". In Glide Magazine, Shawn Donohue writes that this album sounds similar to The Band and Los Lobos without being retro and states that "there is a lot to like" on this release. At The Spill Magazine, the editors chose this as a pick and critic Tony Stuart rated it a 9 out of 10 for being "gloriously retro, but still looking forward" and writing that the "songs on the release all showcase different facets of the band, but the one consistent thread is that this is a very tight, well-rehearsed outfit".
Uncut ranked this the 62nd best album of 2023.
Track listing All songs written by John McCauley, except where noted. "If I Try to Leave" – 3:37 "Forgiving Ties" (Ian O'Neil and Dennis Michael Ryan) – 4:10 "Grey Matter" – 2:59 "If She Could Only See Me Now" – 2:51 "Running from Love" – 4:27 "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:42 "Disgrace (O'Neil and Julian Veronesi) – 2:54 "My Ship" – 2:19 "A Light Can Go Out in the Heart" (O'Neil) – 3:07 "The Real Thing" – 8:59
Personnel Deer Tick John Joseph McCauley – lead vocals, guitar Ian Patrick O'Neil – guitar, backing vocals Christopher Dale Ryan – bass guitar, backing vocals Dennis Michael Ryan – drums, backing vocals
Additional personnel Courtney Marie Andrews – vocals John Baldwin – mastering Steve Berlin – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone Vanessa Carlton – vocals Joshua Carrigan – inside photography Jake Charkey – cello Robbie Crowell – tenor saxophone Kam Franklin – backing vocals on "Once in a Lifetime" David Fridmann – synthesizer, programming, engineering, mixing, production Jon Fridmann – flute, French horn, glockenspiel, trombone, trumpet, horn arrangement, engineering Michael Fridmann – engineering Lois Harada – cover typeset Dana Lyn – viola Maurisa Mackey – band photography Angela Miller – vocals Nate Moretti – drawing Steve Poltz – vocals Sheree Smith – vocals Skye Steele – string arrangements, violin
See also List of 2023 albums
References
External links
Press release from Universal Music Review from Far Out Magazine Review from Tinnitist