Thee Oh Sees - An Odd Entrances

Thee Oh Sees have always had a kaleidoscopic vision, incorporating psychedelia, prog, punk and experimental strands of indie music into their messed-up oeuvre. An Odd Entrances is no different except that, all of the band’s general legacy is on display in the thirty 'odd' minutes. It’s an obstinately diverse trail-ride, and if you were hearing the band for the first time, you might leave the trail with little sense of orientation, or recollection of where the journey had taken you.

For instance, after the harmless space-rock dirge of "You Will Find It Here’’, which is part Pink Floyd ‘Dark Side’ outtake and part chant/drone, ‘The Poem’ is a 1960s/1970s pastoral, sounding like its recorded by a differently engineered source. I had a sense I was listening to Davey Jones singing Trespass-era Genesis. The latter isn’t as bad as it sounds, although pick up any early 70s prog-rock album for similar reveries. More ‘70s inspiration follows with flute driven ‘Jammed Exit’ replete with overly cheery melodies and sustained frippertronics, although frankly the whole enterprise of that composition made me want to puke.

Those who like a little Bossa Nova played Herbie Mann style might like ‘At the End, On the Stairs’ at least until it loses its charm with full band echoing the central theme. Another inexplicable mess.

After a wearisome interlude ‘Unwrap the Fiend Pt 1’, the band plays something a bit jazzy and a bit psych called ‘Nervous Tech’, probably a reference to the poor guy trying to record this deflated soufflé of sound. Though parts of the last track are vaguely inspirational.

Even a bad trip has its moments I guess.