I have this kind of litmus test for determining what band is my current favorite, were I forced to pick by some kind of bizarro music critic tribunal/trial. It's no more complicated than this: do I ever get sick of listening to them? This is how past giants were slain by the twin swords of apathy and time. Where are you now, Smashing Pumpkins? You Radioheads, you Deerhoofs, you Collectives Of Animals? Eventually all defeated by the simple fact that I got sick of listening to them. It could be they put out a bad album or two, it could be my tastes changed, it could be they were Smashing Pumpkins, who should never be anyone's favorite band (but I tease!). I can't say if and when it will happen with Osees, but I will say that I definitely had to take a bit of an extended break from them yet again before doing the final entry in this Retrospective. The live albums were starting to run together to an extent, and I was running out of interesting things to say. All of that said, I think we're about to have a real good time together. They play 'C' on this one, so we're already looking good as Gholü.
I have to say, I was somewhat surprised to learn that this release isn't the full show. I guess I had gotten used to all these double vinyl album/live stream deals with a full hour plus, complete show? Anyway, for those curious, the setlist that night was 19 songs deep and you can find the details on Setlist.fm. As for what's actually on this release, here is the tracklisting--as ever, with the original album noted in parentheses:
The Static God (Orc)
Jettisoned (Orc)
Henchlock (Face Stabber)
Together Tomorrow (Face Stabber)
Animated Violence (Orc)
Gholü (Face Stabber)
Plastic Plant (A Weird Exits)
C (Smote Reverser)
Nite Expo (Orc)
Encrypted Bounce (Drop)
The somewhat awkwardly titled The Chapel, S.F. 10.2.19 was released on June 12th, 2021. It had several different variants of the vinyl release, always as a double record with an etching on side D. It took me a second to figure this out but the cover art and general aesthetic are based on a defunct but legendary live concert bootleg company, Trade Mark Of Quality aka TMOQ. The usual core quintet of the modern Osees lineup is supplemented by Jamin Barton and Scott Reams on horns but as far as I can tell only on 'Henchlock.'
In a lot of ways, this live album is the antithesis to the Levitation Sessions releases. As the press release rightly says, “[t]he Oh Sees at the peak of their prog obsession, super jammed out and totally dominating.” Now, sure, that should technically say Osees, but we'll let that slide. The important thing is, The Chapel is another excellent live album from a band who suddenly flooded the world with a bunch in quick succession. While the Levitation Sessions live albums contained full concerts and drew from throughout the band's discography, The Chapel, S.F. 10.2.19 exclusively pulls its ten tracks from the modern era of the band, with the oldest track dating only to 2014's Drop. If you're mostly a fan of modern Osees, the jammy and proggy and psychedelic and experimental and two-drummers-and-a-bassist rhythm section Osees, then this is the live album for you.
Now, it's worth pointing out again, this live album doesn't contain the full show from that night. Maybe that bums you out, but to me it speaks to the band's taste to limit the album to only 53 minutes long. This setlist is very heavy, jammy, and psychedelic without much room to inhale something other than bong hits; while the natural instinct might be to steer completely into this vibe and make it a two hour behemoth, I'm glad they didn't. It's also worth noting this live album doesn't even strictly follow the actual setlist order. But, again, I'm fine with this, particularly given that the amazing Red Rocks show is free on YouTube and is both long and jammy, too, if you need your double dose of spacey rituals.
Listening to The Chapel on headphones especially I'm made aware of how tight they are as a live band, and also how many little nuances they bring to the material. Tomas Dolas is really great at adding extra little keyboard lines and synth sounds to songs, and the rhythm section is killing it, constantly. I've always preferred the double drummer lineups of this band, and now that I've gotten used to a dedicated bassist I really love how much this frees up John to focus on vocals, guitar, and occasionally synths/keyboards. Speaking of....seeing as how this is the second live album in a row with a lengthy 'Encrypted Bounce', it's tempting to compare the two. Personally, I prefer this one, not just because it's several minutes longer. I just think they do a lot more interesting things this time out, getting very spacey while the two drummers gradually move in and out of lockstep, adding accents and rolls. This of course leads me to the beguiling spaciness of John and Tomas playing synths/keyboards during parts of the jam; laid over the dual drummers, it almost reminds me of the Grateful Dead layering the second set's 'Space' and 'Drums' improv sections over each other.
I also really dig how Dwyer's vocals keep looping after they leave the stage. I just think looping in general is cool, as is reverb and delay effects, but I am also the kind of person who likes to smoke weed and write long essays about bands, so no duh I do.
But I digress. Maybe not my favorite of the modern live releases, but still well worth a spin while you're spun.
As for the future....well, there's still no new studio albums or other releases for Osees on the horizon. And if I'm being honest, I've mostly been listening to all the improv releases from the past couple years, and I'm kind of itching to challenge myself to write about music that is instrumental, entirely, and often abstract and 'out' in the jazz sense of the word. I'm also still toying with the idea of covering other John Dwyer projects from the past, but there's so god damn much to cover there and I can't even begin to figure out where to draw the lines. To anyone wishing I would still cover The 12” Synth, since it's technically an Osees release...again, maybe someday. Hell, maybe I'll even do something nuts and start covering King Gizzard, as some have suggested...I did, after all, recently learn how to control my gag reflex.
But I kid! They're alright.
Some of the feedback to this post will help me decide, I'm sure. As always, thank you all for reading and providing feedback/your own thoughts. May your slime always be warm, and your face thoroughly stabbed.
