Face Stabber, the new triumph from Oh Sees, opens sounding like Seattle-flavored Nick Drake on beer, drawing influences from Daniel Johnson and Radiohead, with a knowing nod to (the criminally underrated) Nick Drake.
Face Stabber is the hair-soul-ers' attempt at baroque, accessible, spaghetti western scene rock.
Face Stabber is steadfastly non-commercial—for good reason: John Dwyer was writing this music in a cabin. Thus, Face Stabber marks a musical turning point, รก la the Beatles' White Album (except it isn't as good).
"The Daily Heavy" echoes strains of a DJ Spooky-esque zen koan, with a penchant for effervescent guitar sheen and crowd-pleasing vocal epic, while the more stripped-down "Poisoned Stones" phones it in, reminiscent of MC5 on heroin. However, Oh Sees blurs layered vocals and acoustic bass into a gorgeous watercolor-hangover haze with "Captain Loosley". But such lack of design has its own charm. The result? plaintive, fey, blistering singer-songwriter-gaze. Perfect for squandering your trust fund during a breakup at the beach.
