Castle Face
OH SEES - An Odd Entrances LP (colour vinyl)
Never played.
Includes d/l code.
Limited edition "Solid Orange" colour vinyl.
Though the Oh Sees sound generally works from a psych-rock template, no two records fit neatly side by side, even when — as in the case of An Odd Entrances and its predecessor, A Weird Exits — they come out a mere three months apart. Where A Weird Exits was a pummeling bruiser, An Odd Entrances lets Thee Oh Sees' members wander artily through alternately jittery and hypnotic jams.
At just 30 minutes, An Odd Entrances qualifies as a sort of mini-album, with three of its six tracks devoted to instrumentals. But it's plenty ambitious. The set's wordless pieces embark on especially unpredictable journeys — in "Jammed Exit," synths burble like water as flutes flutter in a compact but free-flowing jam — but its best song brings Thee Oh Sees' many component parts together. "The Poem" captures a restless band at relative rest, as a beautiful guitar line snakes through a thoughtful and lovely rumination. Though far from An Odd Entrances' only highlight, it's a refreshing detour for a group that, by definition, never slows down for long.