Mere months since the release of the face-melting A Weird Exits, Thee Oh Sees return with the woozy psychedelic companion piece An Odd Entrances. Slow-burning, moody and atmospheric – the record is at once a different beast from its predecessor, albeit with some stylistic overlap.
Songs like ‘Jammed Exit’ again mines the 70s Krautrock prevalent on A Weird Exits, however in place of the former's crushing, bruising heaviness is ambient, dreamy soundscapes. Easily the most impressive aspect of An Odd Entrances is how it emphasises the range of styles the band not only plays, but excels at. Intensity is drawn from Grateful Dead like jams, mostly eschewing the primal power of previous records for intoxicating drawn-out grooves.
Whilst the overwhelming mood of An Odd Entrances is mellow and improvised, there are examples of frontman John Dwyer’s concise, hooky song writing. ‘The Poem’ is three minutes of classic 1960s pop – wistful and dreamy in equal measures. ‘Unwrap the Fiend, Pt. 1’ is an upbeat instrumental with catchy, memorable guitar lines.
The improvised and freewheeling nature of the record may be off-putting to those who prefer the two-minute garage rock nuggets the band and their contemporaries are known for, however An Odd Entrances is enjoyable in a different way, albeit a little underwhelming coming from the masters of modern garage rock.
This year Thee Oh Sees have released two very diverse records – both powerful and inspired examples of a group with boundless creativity and talent.
