Twenty Years and Going Strong

OCS, also known as Thee Oh Sees, released their 20th album last month. After making music for 20 years, OCS is continuing to write and produce albums that don’t seem to let the listener down.

Memory of a Cut Off Head opens with a track titled “Memory of a Cut Off Head” and is intriguing within the first 30 seconds with all of the different sounds being introduced during the instrumental beginning. This track becomes even more of a toe-tapper when the vocals start due to the fluctuation in tempo throughout the rest of the song. There are even layers to the vocals to make for an even more complex structure to the opening track.

“On and on Corridor” is the next track to really stand out on the album. The second this track starts, it has a unique feel to it and really grabs the attention of the listener. There is an airy feel to the track that meshes perfectly with the light vocals featured on the song. The track takes somewhat of a turn when the vocals become a little more haunting, and the backing music more aggressive. This is another track that fluctuates the tempo and layers of the song to achieve a very unique sound specific to OCS.

“The Fool” is a slower song on the album, but it is one of the strongest ones in the sense that it is more of a stripped down song that really highlights the vocals on the track. Anyone that is a fan of higher vocals, would find this track to really stand out. As far as the instrumentals go, it is almost as if they are nonexistent, but in the best way possible for a song like this. Listening to such a song can really give a sense of peace to the listener.

The next track on the album, “The Chopping Block” is somewhat reminiscent of “Space Oddity” by David Bowie, with the acoustic guitar and the style of the vocals combined. Each verse has the same feel as Bowie’s hit song, yet somehow becomes its own song all at the same time. This is also a stronger song for the album because it tends to stand out among the other tracks because of it possessing such a different sound from the others.

The album concludes on “Lift a Finger By the Garden Path” and it wraps the album up on a high note. Not only does the song possess a more positive feel to it overall, but it is also pleasant to listen to because of the structure of the song. The album takes the listener on a journey through the complexity of each song and all of the small pieces that bring together an all-around solid album.