Oh Sees - Smote Reverser

Afternoon friends!  Did you know I'm a sucker for Garage Rock, specifically with a Psych Rock twist?  Clearly, if you've hung around on this blog enough, you know the answer is "Yes, you idiot".  Thee Oh Sees, AKA Oh Sees, AKA OCS, AKA whatever the fuck John Dwyer is feeling like calling them these days are the long-time Psych Rock/Garage Rock project of mastermind John Dwyer and company.  Now, I'm aware that their early Freak-Folk days are special to some people.  But for me, it all began with 2008's "The Masters Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In".  To this day, this remains one of Oh Sees most genuinely brilliant projects.  This is a ghoulish, practically terrifying collection of catchy Garage Rock anthems, overblown in all the right ways.  This album practically sweats out acid and "bad trips" as it rolls along, with cheery drug ballads like "Two Drummers Disappear" and more dreary tunes like "Graveyard Drug Party".  Dwyer half the time didn't even sound like the frontman of a Garage Punk band, he sounded like a junkie who wandered into a haunted house, and it was a BLAST to listen to. Oh Sees continued to craft their sound with 2009's "Help".  Dwyer and company still came off as Garage Rock's most playful ghouls but with much better production this time around as well as a much larger concentration on writing genuinely catchy songs. Which, yes, took away from just how in the moment that first album had come off.  But if that slight loss lead to hulking tracks like "Destroyed Fortress Reappears" and unbelievably catchy tracks like "A Flag In The Court" and "Rainbow", it was worth it. Not to mention, the chemistry between John Dwyer and Brigid Dawson is one of Garage Rock's best-kept secrets.  Oh Sees returned in 2009 with "Dog Poison", which to me seemed like the next step for the group of Garage Rock misfits.  The production was cleaner, the band had started branching out into using some new instrumentals, and Dwyer was writing catchier songs than ever.  And while yes, at not even 24 minutes I was literally begging for more at the end of the album, Oh Sees seemed to be on a roll. But with 2010's "Warm Slime", I was thrown off.  This album was sloppily thrown together and for the most part, seemed completely rushed.  The production was grimy, and there was just so little to really enjoy here.  But also, it seemed like John Dwyer was drifting further and further away from writing catchy material, which worried me.  But Oh Sees returned in 2011 with "Castlemania" and got rid of every doubt in my mind.  This is honestly one of my favorite Oh Sees albums.  I like to hear Oh Sees at their campiest, freakiest and most ridiculous.  And my friends, that's what this is to a T.  Tracks like the insanely catchy "The Whipping Continues", the pummeling "A Wall, A Century 2", and Dwyer's fun and freaky ode to weed in "I Need Seed" are just a blast.  It may not be as heavy as what they would become, but it's just so much fun, and sees the band pulling from their Freak Folk influences, which is all gravy to me.  In 2011 Oh Sees released their noisiest album yet, "Carrion Crawler / The Dream", a favorite of both critics and fans.  This album was so unhinged and absolutely wild.  Dwyer was penning his most visceral lyrics yet, all filling up these tunes that were driven by guitar solos and feedback.  There are live staples like "The Dream" and "Contraption/Soul Desert", but also insanely good deep cuts like "Robber Barons" and "Crushed Grass".  Oh Sees had finally seemed like they were comfortable with their sound, and they could only go up from there.  Then we have 2012's criminally underrated "Putrifiers II".  This album was a little more stripped down and Psych-Folk oriented in parts.  But Dwyer's songwriting was at it's peak by far, with tracks like "Flood's New Light" and "Hang A Picture" were some of the catchiest and most enjoyable tracks Dwyer had penned in years, and tracks like "Putrifiers II" and "Will We Be Scared?" were reminders of just how dangerous Dwyer was.  But for a short while after that, I really got a little tired of Oh Sees.  2013's "Floating Coffin", an honest to God fan favorite and a go-to for anyone trying to get into Oh Sees work.  But for me, it's not my favorite of Dwyer's work, at all.  Sure, "I Come From The Mountain" was the first Oh Sees track I ever heard, and "Maze Fancier" and "Tunnel Time" are easily some of Dwyer's best deep cuts.  But there's so much reverb and feedback going on that more often than not, these songs don't have as much personality and absolutely aren't as catchy.  Oh Sees did start to make a comeback in 2014 with "Drop".  I actually love just how dangerous Dwyer sounds on most of these tracks, and between live favorites like "Penetrating Eye" and fantastic deep cuts like "Camera (Queer Sound)", there's plenty to like here.  But there's also a lot of very bland, "business as usual" tracks here that I can't fully get into.  But Dwyer and company got back in my good graces in a big way with 2015's "Mutilator Defeated At Last".  This album wasn't perfect, but it showed Dwyer again going back to really concentrate on the music he was creating.  Sure, there was just as many bonkers guitar solos and plenty of reverb.  But The songwriting was catchy, and Dwyer's very freakish and wild personality seemed to be oozing out of every pore again. Oh Sees returned in 2016 with one of their most fiercely original works in years, "A Weird Exits".  This album took all the horror imagery and swapped it for Sci-Fi, and it was GOOD.  Tracks like the unhinged "Plastic Plant", the controlled chaos of "Dead Man's Gun", and the absolutely blaring and ingenious "Ticklish Warrior' were some of the freshest Oh Sees tracks in years.  Now, some of the jammier moments on here, are still a little iffy in my book, as I feel like they're more interesting live then on record.  But still, this was a great rebirth for Oh Sees, and just came off as a wildly over-the-top soundtrack to an alien race's road trip to earth to slaughter everything in sight.  Oh Sees were on cruise control entirely by the time 2017's "Orc" rolled around.  This was a wild album with elements of Krautrock and Post Punk all over the place.  But then of course we got tons of wailing guitar solos, visceral and violent lyrics abound, and John Dwyer at his freakiest.  And for the most part, hell yea this was a great album.  Some of those more Jam-oriented tracks were still a little suspect for me, but still, Oh Sees were on top of their game.  But 2017 also saw the release of "Memory Of A Cut Off Head", a real eye-opener for Oh Sees.  This was a stripped down Psychedelic Folk album with not a guitar solo in sight.  But the return of Brigid Dawson, an abundance of twisted, bloody lyrics, and Dwyer's focus on songwriting entirely made for a remarkably enjoyable album still.  It's different, but man does it ever work for them.  So Oh Sees are back!  Or is it OCS?  Thee Oh Sees?  Oh I never know.  BUT, they sound the most explosive they've been at in a while, and I can't wait to chat more about it.

(A personal favorite of mine!)

This album starts off with “Sentient Oona”, and right off the bat, I do really love the very spacey sound to this.  The guitars are heavy and the instrumentals all around are solid.  But there’s a very spacious atmosphere and some really haunting and freakish vocals from John Dwyer.  Now, Dwyer and company for years have really brought out a lot of Classic Rock influences and other Rock genres that you just don’t hear anymore, and that’s no different here.  There a sort of Funky jam floating through this entire track, and Dwyer’s solos are noisy but also tuneful.  Honestly, this track overall is just all gravy for Oh Sees fans. Not to mention, there’s just such a campiness that I’ve always loved to hear from Oh Sees tracks. Also, for a more Jam-heavy track from Oh Sees, this is wildly bold and shows them making big strides in all the right places.  But it’s with “Enrique El Cobrador” that things really start getting rolling.  This one isn’t as polished or as groovy.  No, this is just a straight up Funky, sleazy Garage jam.  There continues to be a real old school sense to this.  But here, I absolutely love a lot of the little details.  Dwyer’s vocals performance here is absolutely brilliant, and those wildly catchy synths are just where I want to hear them.  Some of the imagery here is ridiculously over the top as it’s always been as well.  But I have to say, so far this album is shockingly progressive and tuneful.  Personally, I like to hear Dwyer at his most catchy and writing his more Pop-oriented material.  This is NOT that, but it’s still some of his catchier songwriting than what we’ve heard these last few years.  “Enrique El Cobrador” is grimy as hell and just so sleazy, I can see this track soundtracking some ridiculous Alien porno movie, and I love it all.  On the other hand, when I first heard “C” I wasn’t as into it.  It has grown on me a little bit though, and it’s easily the most Rock N Roll thing Oh Sees have done in a while.  Hell, there’s practically some boogie in this track. I mean, there is an absolutely killer groove to this one, all being encased with the usual freakish lyrics of John Dwyer as well as those bizarre sound effects constantly buzzing throughout.  Now, this one isn’t as heavy as I would have liked for it to be, and I honestly wish this was maybe a little catchier.  But still, this is just another progression for one of Garage Punk’s finest.  But Dwyer and company bring it up to an entirely new level with “Overthrown”, with what may just be the heaviest track they’ve ever recorded.  This is the closest thing they’ve done to an all-out assault, with practically a few dips into Metal.  This track is absolutely pure evil, with blaring guitars and Dwyer sounding more like an absolute freak with each passing verse.  But call me nuts, that wailing guitar is just so catchy and memorable.  It’s the quickest track here, but it’s also one of the most straightforward and ingenious. 

But with “Last Peace” Oh Sees bring back the Jam elements we heard earlier in a big way.  This one is moody, dreary, and overall the sort of Rainy Day jam that I wasn’t expecting to hear.  Dwyer just sounds so downtrodden and gloomy, and the very emotional guitar solo he busts out is just fine.  But let’s address the elephant in the room.  The last few albums when Oh Sees have gone for a track like this, it’s ended up being one of my least favorite of the bunch.  And yes, this isn’t exactly my favorite track here, but it’s so much more tuneful than what I’m used to hearing from tracks like this.  Not to mention, I feel like I can enjoy this on the album but it would also be just as interesting live.  Not to mention, the pacing here is just fantastic.  The second portion of this one gets so much more cosmic with campy synths and some brilliant Krautrock and Punk influences.  The more I hear this on, the more it grows on me.  Then we have “Moon Bog” which almost brings in some Reggae influences, you really never know what you’re going to hear.  It’s one of the grooviest tracks here, but it’s also one of the album’s bleaker and darker moments.  I continue to be shocked by just how sorrowful this is in parts.  Like, come on, these guitars are bluesy as hell.  But among all of that, Dwyer just sounds so damn evil and truly dangerous.  It’s a really interesting dynamic to say the lease, and it’s just something I didn’t expect to hear.  Overall, this album is a big leap for Oh Sees, that shows them grabbing the remains of “A Weird Exits”, “Orc” and “Memory of a Cut Off Head” and molding them together while working out every last kink.  But of all of the tracks here, “Anthemic Aggressor” sadly does the least for me.  This is the sort of overdone jam that Oh Sees lost me with on “A Weird Exits” and “Orc”.  It’s technically sound and all, and overall there’s just so much going on that you really do have to sit back.  Dwyer’s guitar is at it’s most freakish, and the overall campiness of this one is a huge plus.  But let’s be real, this is also Oh Sees at their most indulgent, and I really just can’t remember anything from this one.  Not to mention, worst of all, I feel like this shows zero progression.  This literally just sounds like a track that wasn’t good enough to make it onto “Orc”, and I just expect so much more from oh Sees right now in their career.  But with “Abysmal Urn”, Oh Sees begin their second wind that really lasts until the end of the album.  I love just how in your face and wild this one is.  Dwyer has been nailing guitar solos this entire album, but not once does it come off as genuinely in your face as it does here.  Here, he sounds like an absolute creeper throughout this entire verse and comes off so dangerous.  And that’s 100% where I want to hear him.  The winding guitars are great, the campiness has hit an all-time high, and I love how gruff and unpolished this one is.  And yea, this could have been maybe a little catchier.  But honestly, I’m willing to overlook that, this track rips from start to finish.

Then we get “Nail House Needle Boys” which is a real throwback for Oh Sees.  This sounds like one of their very grimy singles of years ago, and I love hearing it.  Sure, we might be dealing with some souped-up production, but at its core, this is a sweaty Garage Punk tune for the ages.  Once again, we have these very bluesy and emotional guitars.  Hell, even Dwyer himself seems to be back to his best behavior, even if he still comes off just so dangerous.  This may not be Oh Sees at their most unhinged, but they sound determined and have come such a long way of hopping on grooves.  “Flies Bump Against the Glass” on the other hand, sounds like it could have been one of the better tracks on “A Weird Exits”.  Here, Dwyer continues to progress the sound of his legendary Garage Punk band but turns the campiness all the way up.  Which is honestly hard to wrap your head around, but it’s the truth, and it’s a blast.  We continue to get a slew of very bluesy guitar solos, and this very sorrowful jam that I’m actually stunned by.  As far as a straight up Jam goes, I honestly can’t remember the last time one came off this well.  This album ends off with “Beat Quest”, honestly, this sounds exactly where they should be ending this album.  Once again, we see the band going with a seriously dreary sound, which is something that I still really haven’t wrapped my head around.  But it also has this very determined and upbeat sound that is absolutely undeniable. Dwyer’s vocals here are seriously bruised and heartbroken, and it gives him so much character that I just didn’t expect to hear.  Also, this one continues to show just how genuinely the band seems to be holding down these very cosmic grooves.  It’s something that I figured we should have expected eventually, but I’m impressed this all came off as well as it did.

Rating: 8.6/10

Give A Listen To: “Enrique El Cobrador”, “Overthrown”, “Abysmal Urn”, “Beat Quest”

 

Least Favorite Track - “Anthemic Aggressor”

Genre: Psychedelic Rock / Garage Rock / Garage Punk / Krautrock 

Overall Thoughts:  When you’re an Oh Sees fan, you never know what John Dwyer is going to throw at you.  “Smote Reverser” however is one of the more shocking releases in Oh Sees last few years.  This album is a blistering mix of Progressive Rock instrumentals, extended Jams, bluesy Guitar solos, all mixed with the usual campiness and blood and gore that Oh Sees have dished out for seemingly forever.  “Smote Reverser” is a trip of an album, that shows Oh Sees progressing in every way, taking the wailing guitars and undeniable fun of “A Weird Exits”, while adding in the determination and Krautrock influence of “Orc” with the sweeping melodies of “Memory of a Cut Off Head”.  Go into this album like you would any other Oh Sees album, not knowing what to expect from John Dwyer.  Just don’t be surprised when he blows your mind once again.