Thee Oh Sees
Live In San Francisco
(Castleface)
Generally, I regard a first leap into a band through a live album as doing the band a disservice. Let’s face it, unless you’re a die hard fan, live albums are often inferior sounding versions of songs you usually recognize and enjoy, buried under questionable recording. In the case of Thee Oh Sees and this live album from their current hometown, an accurate job of bottling the intensity and energy from these garage rockers makes for a great introduction.
Loud, riff-fueled and fuzzed out, the band tear through spacey-punk and psyche-influenced moments of their catalog, all with excellent sound quality and tight knit musicianship. Much like on record, Thee Oh Sees find that perfect blend of noise and melody, and their strong point, their inimitable live show, unravels like a sonic assault you don’t want to end. File this alongside Face To Face and Avail as one of the few whose live albums are as imperative as the studio.
