Singles Collection

iTunes Review

The good folks at Kill Shaman Records have assembled a collection of singles and demos for any fans of Thee Oh Sees who don’t avidly collect all the seven-inch vinyl and limited edition cassettes that usually sell out within the first few songs at the band’s live shows. “Carol Ann” kicks off with the kind of oversaturated reverb that can only be found in vintage Sears/Silvertone guitar amps as John Dwyer’s sinister sounding vocals go head-to-head with Brigid Dawson’s taunting girlish croons over military rhythms. “Kingsmeat” finds Dawson leaning harder on vintage keyboard drones while Dwyer inflects nearly indiscernible lyrics through what sounds like an amplified walkie-talkie. The aptly titled “The Freak Was Clean” presents a wonderfully bastardized take on British freakbeat with R&B rave-ups and a danceable go-go beat, while “Kids In Cars” simmers down with spooky tones and layers of analogue tape-delay. Party favorite “Bloody Water” bounces on buoyant rhythms and a catchy melody, though it’s the bookending “Grave Blockers” that reveals the band’s penchant for creating otherworldly atmospheres and sounds in the studio.