Rick Damiani aka Mock Deer is a refreshing voice in the multitude of singer-songwriters and solo musicians chasing after Spotify success. In a world where music starts to sound more and more the same, he retains honesty and a rawness that must stem from a true desire to share his views and feeling about the world we live in through music.
The “realness” of the song is also rooted in the sonic creation process: recorded live on an Italian mountainside, with a real band (The Burning Hell). While the recording sounds great, it’s not overproduced, which in the context of the song was certainly the right approach.
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“Contempt for others” starts off with a folky acoustic strum, on top of which distant guitar slides induce a reflective state. The chord changes unsettle and provoke, with Rick’s deeply emotive voice imparting poignant lyrics that are delivered with seriousness and a certain kind of sentimentality. Turning to music for comfort and self-expression in trying times was a defining quality of the 70s rock and folk music, one that we seem to have lost these days. Fortunately, Mock Deer is in the pursuit of it. And though “Contempt for Others’ starts as a weary protest, it evolves into a more intense narrative of dissent by the end of the song. If it proves one thing, it is that good music has no expiry date.
“Contempt for Others” is part of a four track EP which will be coming out later this year. Connect to Mock Deer on socials to keep up with the next releases:
Julia Tache is a musician, social media enthusiast and writer. She releases music under the moniker Jewelia, is the founder of IndieGems and co-owner of Dual Productions.