Anyone who thought the (relatively) louder, tighter, and more streamlined approach of
Thee Oh Sees
' second official album,
Help
, was a sign this group might be falling out with its inner freak need not have worried. The 2009 release
Dog Poison
finds
John Dwyer
and his bandmates falling off the edge straight into the sound of purple; opening with a pair of slightly shambling acoustic-based tracks,
soon descends into a louder and buzzier groove but is noticeably more low-key than their previous work, feeling more like a homemade effort with
Dwyer
and his pals brewing up their swampy psych-influenced noises in the midst of some sort of living room hootenanny. In many respects, the simpler and more organic tone of
suits
's melodic sense well enough (especially on the more subtle tracks, which faintly recall
Tyrannosaurus Rex
before
Marc Bolan
learned to boogie), and the booming, overloaded bass and imprecise overdubs lend this recording a sound that recalls acid-damaged home-brewed psych albums of the late '60s and early '70s, doubtless a powerful influence on this group. But at a mere 24 minutes,
is significantly less ambitious in both size and scope than
' previous albums, and while there was a clear if messy method to their madness on
, too much of this material is the work of a talented but unfocused act messing around and not going anywhere in particular.
have always sounded somewhat incoherent, but in the manner of the old adage that not all who wander are lost; on
, they sound rather like they're stuck in place, and though they appear to be having some fun there, the finished product suggests they're better off getting out more.