Review Summary: A short burst of grubby, fun energy
After a long 2 year wait, Osees, formerly Oh Sees, formerly Thee Oh Sees, formerly several other names, have finally released their 26th album -
A Foul Form. Whilst they have often incorporated some punky elements in the past, such as on
Protean Threat, this is no frills, straightforward garage and hardcore punk. Main man John Dwyer describes
A Foul Form as an homage to the punk bands that they grew up on, citing groups such as Black Flag and Crass as inspirations (the final track "Sacrifice" is also a cover of the British band Rudimentary Peni). Apparently, he even went as far as using the same recording and production techniques as these classic bands.
Speaking of, the production is perhaps one of the album's greatest boons - gritty, abrasive and noisy, it really lends itself to the style of music and enhances the aggression in both the instrumentation and vocals (Dwyer allegedly had Covid when recording them and credits this with the harshness of his voice). The mixing is also very well done, as the bass is nice and loud and the drums are punchy, both of which add to the intensity. The guitars could maybe be a bit heftier, but this is a minor complaint as it doesn't detract from anything. Overall, the sound complements the style very well.
The band manages to mixed in a lot of character to this hardcore style, with many examples of hooky and memorable elements that don't contrast with the aggression too heavily. "***ing Kill Me", for example, has a great catchy riff that always tempts a repeat after the track is finished. The same can also be said for the simple yet effective chord progressions on "Funeral Solution" and the sliding guitar parts on the title track. The use of zany sounds also helps add a lot of personality, such as the noisy intro to "Funeral Solution", the chainsaw-like effects on the interlude "A Burden Snared", and what sounds like sirens on "Perm Act." These freakouts are solid enough that they could probably be incorporated effectively into full noise songs.
Thanks to its brief 21-minute and 58-second runtime,
A Foul Form breezes by and never overstays its welcome. Whilst this could be viewed as a positive, as the band don't wear out this style by running on too long, it could also be a curse. With such a short runtime, it becomes increasingly difficult to overlook any tracks that fall below the standards set by the highlights. For example, "Scum Show" has a fun chorus that is surrounded by fairly standard riffing that most bands could have written. It isn’t necessarily a bad track, but it is a bit unremarkable and it is very noticeable when the album dips during weaker moments such as this.
Some may also take issue with the lyrics. The angry rants that are expected from punk are abundant but, beyond the themes that are fairly clear, they can be quite ambiguous. They don't really appear to be directed at anyone or anything in particular and are perhaps not as relatable or impactful as a result. Nonetheless, themes such as suicide and oppression do add to the gritty atmosphere, so this is more a matter of preference.
A Foul Form doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, but the melding of their typical psych and garage sounds with punk results in an abrasive yet fun shot of energy. It's sure to please both fans of the band and fans of the punk scene looking for a dose of grimy punk.
Highlights:
***ing Kill Me
Funeral Solution
Frock Block
