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Aug 28, 2017 Oh Sees By Stephan Wyatt

Oh Sees? Thee Oh Sees? Orange County Sound? Oh, well. More recycled Roky Erickson-isms and smoky garage-rock riffs pollute the ears along with the most odious proggy lyrics this side of Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Ambivalent name changes aside, Orc, the band’s latest offering, binges on Tolkien fantasy with exhaustive tracks such as “Drowned Beast” and “Cadaver Dog,” the former featuring an attack on a monster by a hungry crowd—the sound of the apocalypse at a Magic: The Gathering tournament.

“Keys to the Castle” sustains a Krautrock groove surrounded by a melodic, mid-range bassline; however, John Dwyer does a poor man’s Ian Anderson, ruining the palatable orchestration with gravel lodged in his throat: “Floating in the vile moat yeah/Crack their skulls upon the cobbles.” Substitute Joe Cueto’s brilliant viola solo during the song’s endless outro with a flute, and the worst tracks on Jethro Tull’s Under Wraps come to mind.

When considering the breadth of Oh Sees’ prolific discography, good albums, such as Castlemania and Help, are well wedged within their burgeoning stack. But when “The Static God” begins Orc‘s invocation with a spastic, ear-bleeding riff, it signals the album’s doom. And once Orc‘s forgettable instrumental “Raw Optics” concludes the record, questions emerge about the declining quality of Dwyer’s beloved project. Is his creative process too insulated by likeminded acts to see its slow decay? Or, will Dwyer’s rebranding keep his most devoted fans appeased for now until some other manifestation of his project emerges? (www.theeohsees.com)

Author rating: 2/10