To write that this is the first album of the year from San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees is an odd thing, given that they are such a prolific band.
You can tell that they have taken their time with this release. That is not to say that their previous efforts have been lacklustre.
Thee Oh Sees are a talented and eclectic bunch of musicians, and their albums usually reflect an aspect of those talents, with individual releases feeling somewhat segregated, and hence, slightly easier to place into the confines of a genre.
Now this may be deliberate, it may not – but it does cause Putrifiers II to stand apart from previous works as it paints a more complete picture of the band’s range.
The resulting collection is borderline bi-polar, ranging from psychedelic dirges to songs that wouldn’t be entirely out of place at a 60s prom; Pretty little “Strawberry Fields Forever”-type ditties.
All manner of instruments are represented, including woodwind, horns, and strings. The latter at times conjuring memories of Dirty Three’s bearded Warren Ellis throwing himself about on stage, There is even a potential organ grinder lurking on “So Nice”.
If you’re looking for an introduction to Thee Oh Sees prior to their stint as part of All Tomorrow’s Parties, start here. If you’re really keen, work your way backward.
Don’t be daunted by their catalogue’s sheer size. If you begin now that gives you roughly one week per album…
Far from putrid, Thee Oh Sees 14th release is their most accessible to date
