Osees : If I Had My Way
Osees (FKA Oh Sees, Thee Oh Seas, and many more) is the latest rendition of John Dwyer’s ever evolving, genre-hopping garage rock band. This name change signifies the next chapter in an impressive excursion into DIY musical experimentation and punk ethos over 22 (soon to be 23) albums in the past 20 years.
After two jam-focused psychedelic prog rock albums and a 12” vinyl foray into improvised ambient music written and recorded exclusively on synths that was released earlier this year, Osees previewed their first single Dreary Nonsense ahead of their upcoming album Protean Threat. A 90 second banger with a driving rhythm section, fuzzy harmonising guitars, and searing synths, it seemed that the band had found their way back into the blistering garage rock of earlier albums like Carrion Crawler/ The Dream or Floating Coffin.
However, on their latest single If I Had My Way, Osees comes through with a laid back, psychedelic track that would feel right at home on their more recent jam focused albums such as Smote Reverser or Face Stabber. Its tight, groovy rhythm section is emboldened by the presence of its two drummers and further adorned by feathery fuzz guitar leads, maintaining an oddly tranquil tempo and dynamic as the song goes along.
In a seeming exploration of companionship, frontman John Dwyer sings of meandering observations (I’m a little bit dry, I’m a little bit wet/ I’m a little concerned with that compost on your breath.”) before breaking out into a series of existential queries for the listener, questioning the desire for solitude or company (“…Are you all alone? Are you testing it out? Are you flying solo? Aren’t you tired? All alone’s the best! All by yourself/ You don’t even need the rest/ Oh love/ But of course you do/ Otherwise why the fight?”).