Thee oh Sees Albums

 

 

If there was any justice in the world, the commercials of today would feature tunes from this insanely talented psych-rock band. But of course, I'm glad that is not the case! Thee Oh Sees discography can be daunting, with releasing solid albums year after year and sometimes 2 in one year! They are also constantly change how their name is spelled/ pronounced just to be obnoxious (between Coachwhips and the many monikers of Thee Oh Sees, count 'em with me- Orinoka Crash Suite, OCS, Orange County Sound, The Oh Sees, The Oh Sees, Thee Oh See's, Thee Oh Sees, Oh Sees, so far...), but that is honestly part of their charm. The band, or basically genius John Dwyer and whomever he recruits, retains the vanguard of what it means to create music that moves the soul in the 2010's.

 

 

 

Band Members:

John Dwyer (vocals, guitar, keyboards, flute), Patrick Mullins (drums, saw, electronics, 2004-06), Brigid Dawson (vocals, keyboards, 2005-13, 2015, 2017), Petey Dammit (bass, guitar, 2006-13), Jigmae Baer (drums, 2006-07), Mike Shoun (drums, 2007-13), Lars Finberg (drums, guitar, vocals, 2011-12), Nick Murray (drums, 2014-15), Tim Hellman (bass, 2014-present), Ryan Moutinho (drums, 2015-16), Dan Rincon (drums, 2015-present), Paul Quattrone (drums, 2017-present), Tomas Dolas (keyboards, guitar, 2018–present)

 

 

 - sidenote: i don’t have all this band’s albums reviewed yet. Just my highlights i have absorbed, give me time and i will get them all…

 

 

2011

Carrion Crawler/The Dream -  95%

 

      Thee Oh Sees Carrion Crawler/The Dream is somewhat of a grower of an album, but it does play like an actual album. Whatever they intended by calling it an EP or a combination of 2 EP's, it plays all the way through perfectly. I would say there are few examples of psychedelic pop as joyous as "Opposition" (bouncy vassal lines) or "Crushed Grass" ( the new standard for pysch in the 2010's), as few rave-up songs with wild vocals as good as "Contraption/Soul Desert" -a sort of mix of Deep Purple's “Highway Star" and The Velvet "Underground's "Waiting for the Man" to make one of the great driving songs ever- or "Crack Your Eye", a sort of twist on Syd Barrett's idea of Pink Floyd updated to the new millennium, with a more maximal emotional impact.

        The comparison spans from the 1960's era singles of The Doors to the 1980's dementia of The Pixies, but also adds a series of depth to the songs along with the fun bouncy jingles. The long winding journey of "Rubber Barons" would ignite most band's entire carriers, and "Heavy Doctor" is a perfect closer that comes across effortlessly. There is another aspect as well, in songs like bass heavy "The Dream", of a new structure to rock songs that effortlessly morph from one thought to another; perhaps music that could flow on forever to infinity. In all this si the album that I recommend to everyone I know to start their obsession with this band, as they make music that defies trends it actually inspires them. Just about perfect rock record.


Best Tracks: Crack in Your Eye, Contraption Soul Desert, The Dream, Opposition

2012

Putrifiers II –  77%

 

A release from Thee Oh Sees guarantees a certain quality of music for sure, it will at least be pleasant and at least be psychedelic and retro sounding. They are at their most interesting when they put their own unique spin on it (the title track “Purifiers Two” which has six minutes just fly by in a trance), and this is probably their second-best effort to date after 2011's Carrion Crawler/The Dream though it must be said this album has a much more laid-back vibe to it. Hard rock blasts come in the form of “Lupine Dominus” which is one of their representative blasts of double drumming, Psych pop is perfected in “Hang a Picture”, and especially “Flood’s New Light” which recalls The Stooges playing pop songs in the clothes of the Monkees. Each song brings another quality of psych music to the table, the most touching being the slumber quality of the next to last closing track “Goodnight Baby”. Only the last track “Wicked Park” and the short punchy “Cloud #1” really fails to entertain, most of this is amazing and again: A 36 MINUTE ALBUM IS NOT AN EP!!!

 

Best Songs: Flood’s New Light, Putrifiers II, Lupine Domine, Goodnight Baby

2015

Mutilator Defeated At Last –  91%

 

John Dwyer has made a huge mark on the psych rock evolution of the 20th century, beginning with the Couchwhips last decade flowing through with Thee Oh Sees in the 2010s. Or is it Oh Sees now? Whatever he calls his project there is no denying his gift for a good, catchy distorted rock song, as he has made 10 or eleven albums this decade alone fueling the new psych rock scene and inspiring artists like King Gizzard, Ty Seagul, and whoever else falls under the psychedelic rock banner these days. Most of the albums he created are good to great, and some of them are truly exceptional, Mutilator Defeated at Last is probably my favorite except for one other that falls higher on my list…..but we can talk about it later about whether it is a proper album or not.

 

            While there is something to be said for a band that makes the same kind of songs/music over and over again, in the case of Thee Oh Sees it is a good thing. The degrees to which they are able to find new uses for the same couple of chords, song titles, and old Pink Floydian riffs is borderline insane. Nevertheless, "Poor Queen" and "Rogue Planet" are as relentless as their rockers have ever been; the masterful and career defining "Sticky Hulks" (this song along shows the band’s mastery of a slower kind of truly psychedelic rock that is hard to pull off) and "Lupine Ossuary" point in new directions for slow, menacing psych rock; "Web” and "Palace Doctor" would not be out of place on any other of John Dwyer's records. What the band does right on Mutilator Defeated at Last is the secret to all great albums: keep it concise, consistent, and keep changing it up ever so slightly.

Best songs: Sticky Hulks, Rouge Planet, Palace Doctor, Withered Hand

2017

Orc – 78%

Thee Oh Sees (or whatever John Dwyer wants to call himself these days) are almost frustratingly good at being consistent. I don't even know where to begin to count how many great releases they have so far this decade alone, but it's a lot. With 2017's release, they again expand and celebrate the sound they have cultivated over the years. The eight minute "Keys to the Castle" is a true psych rock journey, harking back to the days of Syd Barrett Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix, with songs such as "Jettisoned" and "The Static God" keep the punk rock flavor alive. Check the synth intro to “Nite Expo”, that comes straight from last decade. The second half of the record is not quite as strong as the 1st, with only “Paranoise” and “Raw Optics” really standing out in parts. Overall though, the group is a psychedelic beast that is constantly shedding its skin to reveal more interesting colors beneath. The band's brand of psychedelic rock has become very fashionable these days, but no one can do it better than the originators.

 

Best Songs: Keys to the Castle, The Static God, Nite Expo, Jettisoned

2023

Intercepted Message - 83%

 

You gotta love how much fun Osees have in their releases. They are very prolific, but each new release shows off a different side of the band and it is not that easy to constantly reinvent yourself like that within one genre of rock music. Leader John Dwyer is some kind of psychedelic musical chameleon for sure and his amazing ability to write meaningful, amazing songs seems to know no bounds. Compared to other psych modern band he no doubt inspired ( King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Tame Impala, Ty Segall, etc.), he is by far the best and most consistent songwriter of the era. Look what he does subverting expectations with the keyboard driven solos of "Stunner" and the title track, the on hold music used for many medical facilities in "LADWP Hold" ( i would know, trust me...), and the out of this world weirdness of "Goon" and "Sleazoid Schizo". Some of his best songs yet are present on the dark disturbing groove of "Unusual and Cruel" which has a kind of robotic chant to it, the smoking garage rock of "Chaos Heart", and the Pere Ubu meets The Rapture dance rock randomness of "Die Laughing".
Dwyer can't be stopped it seems, 20 albums in since 2003 and he is still going strong, always entertaining and some times striking gold like this album presents.

 

Best Songs: Unusual and Cruel, Chaos Heart, Sleazoid Psycho, Intercepted Message

  • more to come and I will fill in gaps when I can :)