“Walk around with those expired eyes, politicians fill you only lies.”
You’d think that over the past 16 years, a band which has produced a minimum of an LP each year, would be the weary, expired ones performing inside London’s stoic Troxy. Yet given the deluge of rock sub-genres incorporated into their repertoire, from acid to psychedelic to punk, in conjunction with the several band name changes overseen in the past couple of decades, the San Franciscan Oh Sees are instead currently reaching the pinnacles of their sonic power.
Formed in 1997 courtesy of the front-and-centre talisman John Dwyer, the band have ultimately been known to delve into experimental, bassier ‘rock’ - in the largest sense of the word - heavily reminiscent of a Doors/Beatles/Jimi Hendrix concoction. With 22 LPs to choose from, ‘Nite Expo’s lightly-tinged guitar riffs signified the beginning of this rock-infused evening, soon transcending into a burgeoning hypnotic experience for those sweltering in the summer-burnt crowd.
‘Tidal Wave’s exuberant energy eventually helped peel back the layers of Oh Sees’ sound - introducing Dwyer’s nasally, high-pitched vocals against the extensively hypnotic grooves and duets bolstered by the duo of drummers on stage. This pulsating package came tied frantically together with the noticeably remarkable sound system of London’s Troxy’s, which has never failed to impress in previous encounters. Eventually Oh Sees’ evolution to today’s sounds of their latest LP, ‘Face Stabber’, came to fruition in the form of the Suicide-esque ‘The Daily Heavy’ and ‘Snickersee’, with the former’s abstract squeaky toy refrains and the latter’s biting socio-political commentary.
Up to this point, my own thoughts on Oh Sees’ set seemed solidified enough - figuring them to be an intensely-experimental ‘rock’ band fond of divulging into drum duets, unorthodox riffs, and distorted vocal melodies. However, the descent into tonight’s finale altered these perceptions and extended my admiration for the band - namely inviting their promoter on stage to improvisationally perform ‘Encrypted Bounce’ amongst their set’s explosive culmination. Ten minutes beyond the 11pm curfew, Oh Sees’ sporadic set emphatically came to an end to the delight of an emaciated crowd.
Whilst the band and their tumultuous frontman may have proven few and far between for words to the beloved crowd, their sound certainly compensated in its pristinely bassy tones converging beautifully with the frenetic grooves and clashes on stage, as well as the synth’s excitable offerings. It’ll be intriguing to compare their fellow contemporaries’ King Gizzard’s set in London next month with a supposed specialised visual design in accompaniment - perhaps something Oh Sees could invest further with, however, the curveballs of ‘rock’ thrown our way only filled us with confidence for this elusive genre’s future.
8/10
Oh Sees' latest LP, Face Stabber, is out now and can be found here.
Featured photo is courtesy of Jinny Park whose work can be found here.
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