In 2011, genre-shattering rockers
Thee Oh Sees put a fractured spin on pop with
Castlemania, returning later in the year with the wild experimentation of
Carrion Crawler/The Dream EP. A year later,
Putrifiers II lands somewhere in between, combining those aesthetics while bounding forward with new ideas and influences. Produced by
Chris Woodhouse, who's been at the band's side since 2008's
The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In,
Putrifiers II is as warm as
Thee Oh Sees have ever sounded -- a particularly stark contrast to the raw, live mood of
Carrion Crawler/The Dream EP -- which reflects the sense of restraint (by their standards, anyway) and maturity that permeates the record even in its heaviest moments. On that heavier side, the title track and album centerpiece (for
John Dwyer devotees, it's almost a sequel to the song "Putrifiers" from his mid-aughts distortion-drenched band
Yikes) bounces back and forth between hippy-dippy vocals and corrosive guitar chugging, giving way to a synth/noise jam session outro, while the crunchy, motorik "Lupine Dominus" whizzes with
Syd Barrett-esque freakiness and
Suicide-style paranoia. But
Putrifiers II really shines with the tracks that show
John Dwyer's increasingly melodic ear and the many forms it takes, making the connection from
Nuggets-y strut to
Motown rhythm ("Flood's New Light") and laid-back fuzz-pop to AM gold ("Hang a Picture"), as well as conjuring halcyon
Byrds-meets-
Kinks vibes ("Goodnight Baby") and idyllic symphonies in miniature ("Wicked Park"). On the more experimental side, the droning raga-like "So Nice" gives the feel of
Thee Oh Sees' spin on "Venus in Furs" and "Tomorrow Never Knows," and "Will We Be Scared?" has the eerie, nostalgic swoon of
Scott Walker and
Dirty Beaches. With so many contrasting ideas mingling on one album,
Putrifiers II suffers in terms of overall cohesiveness, but longtime fans will feel rewarded in hearing the band simultaneously honing what it does best and pushing its boundaries. Incidentally, for this reason it's also a great introduction for newer listeners. After 15 years and over a dozen albums,
Putrifiers II is part snapshot and part look into the crystal ball, showing
Dwyer and company's ever-changing approach to songwriting and musicianship, and further cementing
Thee Oh Sees' status as one of the most liberated, vital bands in indie rock. ~ Chrysta Cherrie
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