Reviewed by: John Harlow
Score: 8/10
Thee Oh Sees’ 11th(!) studio album, ‘A Weird Exits’, comes after the departure of drummer Nick Murray, who has been replaced on this record with two(!) drummers. The change is noticeable; this thing bangs. You could down a couple of beers, pop it on your stereo, and mosh to it by yourself.
These guys are no strangers to change, with nearly a dozen alterations to the San Francisco-based band’s headcount since frontman/guitarist John Dwyer started the project over a decade ago. Despite the turnover, somehow Dwyer & Co. have managed to carry the momentum of last year’s ‘Mutilator Defeated At Last’ through to this record; Dwyer knows not to fix what isn’t broken.
A Weird Exits feels noticeably comfortable, with a sort of calm, carefree air to it. That feeling is only furthered by the tongue-in-cheek nomenclature on this record. The name of the LP itself seems a play on words; you’d be lying if you didn’t read it as A Weird Exists at first glance. The misnomer wouldn’t exactly be non-descriptive though, some of the track names on this thing are straight goofy (“Gelatinous Cube”, “Ticklish Warrior”, “Unwrap the Fiend Pt. 2” (there is no Pt. 1)). It’s hard to imagine Thee Oh Sees creating this thing with straight faces.
And yet, this album sounds like something that a lot of time was invested to. It’s well-produced, a balanced mix of the riff-heavy jams Thee Oh Sees are known for and tracks that are interestingly lighter & more melodic, and the interplay between the two drummers sounds great. There are a few riskier songs (“Jammed Entrance” sounds like a possessed Gameboy over a drumbeat and bass line, “Crawl Out Into The Fall Out” features what sounds like the bowing of an upright bass, something I’d never expect on a Thee Oh Sees record), while having a few nostalgic moments as well (“Plastic Plant” contains the quintessential yelled “WOOO!” from Dwyer before the band comes crashing through).
Prior fans of Thee Oh Sees: you’ll like it. While I can see newcomers being turned off by some of raucousness and bizarre vocal delivery on this album, anyone willing to enter it with an open mind should be able to find 40 minutes of enjoyment in ‘A Weird Exits’.
FCC: Clean
RIYL: King Tuff, Ty Segall, Wand, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Favorite Tracks: 2, 5, 6
