Deer Tracks
Words by Matt Browne
That a fleeting exchange with one of the more recognisable members of the Cervadae species inspired their name is suggestive not only of what sort of sentiments The Deer Tracks are trying to evoke, but also the sort of wavelength they exist on. David Lehnberg, one half of the Swedish twosome, explains: “You know how the deer stare at you in the forest, their eyes are blank with no expression- really magical”. Yes David, it’s so routine an experience now that it’s in danger of losing its novelty to be honest. However, if an enchanted encounter with said species has eluded you thus far, perhaps David and his foil, Elin Lindfors, may be able to enlighten you as to what senses it may invoke with Aurora, their debut album.
Self-described as “a mix between the Nordic lights and electronica”, this proclivity toward fragile majesty is unsurprising considering their musical influences, with Bjork and Pink Floyd being listed among them.
However, despite a tendency to spout some truly knock-out lines like the deer one, they avoid, astonishingly, that anathema for which all music lovers of the post-modern age cannot forgive: pretension. In fact, happily, they shoulder an honest approach which is too often mistaken for conceit. “I make music for my own sake and still find it hard to believe people like it”, David admits. He reveals that the band “wasn’t supposed to be anything” and only after a perfunctory Myspace upload did he really give it any thought. Scandinavia reacted approvingly to their stuff. And how. “We didn’t expect people to like us as much as they did because we hadn’t even released our record, but people knew all the lyrics, so it was a surprise”.
The same air of impulse surrounds their recording procedure, David explains, citing that “we don’t really have a process when we write, we just play around in the studio - it’s a sort of laying of puzzles.” You wouldn’t tell. ‘Yes This Is My Broken Shield’ is impressively measured, moving from delicate rustles, bleeps and twinkles, to a sonorous melody and drum pulsations, only to reach an elevating explosion of loud anthemics.
Have we room for another corker from Dave? “We get our inspirations from everywhere. It can be anything, any artist that is true to itself and the art form. It doesn’t have to be music, it can be paintings as long as it’s true to itself.” At this point we wish we could wittily point out that, as a metaphor for their music, one can track deer by their shit. Fortunately it’s not appropriate, despite what comes out of David’s mouth.
http://www.myspace.com/thedeertracks
Posted Tue, March 31, 2009