Osees - A Foul Form Review
While other more formal acts tend to stick to a release and then a tour, Osees continue to do whatever the fuck they want.
Whether you know them as Osees, Oh Sees, or Thee Oh Sees, nothing is better than hearing that the San Francisco rock group has released another album. The band has been through several line-up changes throughout the years, but one thing hasn't changed, and that is the group's astoundingly prolific output. With over twenty studio albums under their belt, John Dwyer (vocals, guitar), Tim Hellman (bass), Dan Rincon (drums), Paul Quattrone (drums), and Tomas Dolas (keyboards) have returned with their latest release, "A Foul Form."
Described by Dwyer himself as "brain stem cracking scum-punk," A Foul Form is an homage to several punk bands that have helped form the sounds and stylings of the band. Recorded in Dwyer's basement, this album is full of aggression, savagery, and faint hints of humor that constantly throw themselves at your ears and into your skull. At just twenty-two minutes long, "A Foul Form" is a tight, explosive record that is sure to open up the pits.
Funeral Solution kicks off the album with blood-curdling distortion before launching into a chugging, fast-paced scream fest by Dwyer. Critical of mankind and their hypocrisies, Funeral Solution, calls out the stupid humans living the same dream over and over again in the most punk way possible.
The aggression continues in "Frock Block," a relatively simple and short song that keeps the punk motif moving. Feedback and shouts continue to ring in the ears as this track takes what conservative grandmothers call music and runs it through a woodchipper. It is loud and unapologetic, as all good punk should be
"Too Late for Suicide" is perhaps the most easily digestible track on the record. Hellman's bassline on this song is the real driver of this song, even though Rincon and Quattrone's drums here are just as groovy. Fuzz and distortion adorn the track, while Dwyer's vocals a reminiscent of punk callouts seen in the early stages of punk formed in the UK.
The album's title track is a fun ride. "A Foul Form" shows off the range of vocal styles Dwyer can produce and again gives respect and a modern take on the earliest stages of punk. This song has a very garage rock feel and hints at psychedelia with the whirring runs on guitar. Constantly calling out the listener and the world they live in, the societal questionings of this track are solidified in anarchy, debauchery, and death to the status quo.
The records only instrumental track, "A Burden Snared," is a short and progressive jaunt with pumping bass and marching drums. Ambient yells from what sounds like a busy schoolyard fill the air before synthetic sputtering fails out at the end of the track. The first half of the album has finally run out of gas.
Refueled and rearing to go, "Scum Show" takes off with an electrifying pace. Dwyer's shouting, consistently paced with roaring guitar riffs and clashing drums makes for an excellent headbanging track. The static is a little overdone on this track, but the sound is consistent. As a concept, this album nails a new-age take on punk with a scummy underground taste to it.
"Fucking Kill Me" as a follower to the previous song is little in its differences but equally as fun. More shouting, more explosive riffing, and even more thumping drums. Each song on this record feels more cathartic than the last. Imagining the band in their forced hiatus due to Covid is a great way to envision the pent-up frustrations the band has had over the past couple of years.
"Perm Act" kicks off with loud guitar and marching drums that feel like a military parade before breaking down into a racing crash of drums and cymbals. Dwyer switches up his vocal cadence again but continues the chanting expressions of a post-punk revitalization. The lyrics on this track back up the militaristic feel, almost as if the listener is being mocked by a superior. The riffs are similar to surf rock in a great way. A long track compared to much of the album, "Perm Act" is a standout song on this record.
"Social Butt" continues the crass expressions of the punk ideology. Chugging guitar switches up the tempo throughout the song and create a sense of whirling spins that can overwhelm and excite. If this track doesn't give your heart palpitations, the volume is too low. Feel it wash over your synapses and jump into the chaos.
The album closes with "Sacrifice," a track that takes some of the best work of the Osees and fully submerges it in the riot fest of punk they've come to master throughout the record. It is loud and bombastic, full of maniacal shouts and fast-paced energy. As a closer, this track only leaves the listener wanting more. And with only twenty minutes, another foray into an Osees take on punk might be precisely what this world needs.
A Foul Form is another project knocked off the list of one of the most creative bands in the industry today. While other more formal acts tend to stick to a release and then a tour, Osees continue to do whatever the fuck they want. They'll scream in your face, spit on your heroes, and laugh at your vain attempts to cover your ears when they turn up the amps to eleven. Grab your anarchy patches and get ready to rumble.