Over a quarter-century in the game with dozens of albums and myriad projects to his name, John Dwyer just doesn’t stop. During the pandemic, he occupied himself and audiences alike with improvisational one-off bands that multiplied like viruses, and last year jumped right back in the pit with OSEES‘ scum-punk foray A Foul Form. Now, Dwyer is back with his main project again as OSEES announce a new album, Intercepted Message. In classic form, the album announcement and title track arrive on the same day as the band’s Live at LEVITATION album recorded back in 2012 when they were still Thee Oh Sees.
“Intercepted Message” immediately lights up with siren-like synths that dominate the track. Dwyer delivers a brooding warning—properly situated behind a news desk in the music video—of the ways that the powers that be will keep the general populace subdued. The middle ground between retro ’80s synthesizers and doomed OSEES lyricism comes from the dual drumming attack of Dan Rincon and Paul Quattrone, who sanctify the unruly marriage of punk and pop.
Related: OSEES Decimate KEXP With ‘A Foul Form’-Fueled Performance [Watch]
Dwyer delivered his traditionally poetic description of the album, writing,
A pop record for tired times.
Sugared with bits of shatterproof glass to put more crack in your strap.
At long last, Verse / chorus
A weathered thesaurus
This is Osees bookend sound
Early grade garage pop meets proto-synth punk suicide-repellant
Have a whack at the grass or listen while flat on your ass
Heaps of electronic whirling accelerants to gum up your cheapskate broadband
Social media toilet scrapers unite!
Allow your 24 hour news cycle eyes to squint at this smiling abattoir doorman
You can find your place here at long last
All are welcome
From the get go to the finale …. A distant crackling transmission of 80s synth last-dance-of-the-night tune for your lost loves
Suffering from Politic amnesia?
Bored of AI-generated pop slop?
Then this one is for you, our friends
Wasteland wanderer, stick around.
Love y’all
For fans of Teutonic synth punk and Thee Oh Sees (who the fuck are they?)
– John Dwyer
Check out the music video for OSEES’ new single “Intercepted Message” and stream Live at LEVITATION by Thee Oh Sees across platforms. The live album is available on vinyl here. Catch OSEES on tour in the U.S. this fall.
OSEES – “Intercepted Message” (Official Video)
Thee Oh Sees – Live at LEVITATION (2012)
The post OSEES To Go From Mosh Pit To Pop Hit On New Album ‘Intercepted Message’ [Video] appeared first on L4LM.
