The sound of Thee Oh Sees’s debut couldn’t be further removed from the band’s sonic qualities of today. 14 years following this EP, they’ve consolidated themselves as one of the most prolific garage rock bands of the 21st century, with a discography of energetic highs and mind-numbingly repetitive lows. The band has even mustered up three releases during the covid pandemic. Disregarding their monstrous discography however, I thought I’d take a look at the band’s creepy lo-fi folk inception as though it may not be some of their most groundbreaking material, it’s beautifully terrifying vibe makes it a unique gem.
Grave Blockers is essentially a skeletal collection of tracks that would make up much of the sound of Thee Oh Sees following this EP. Though their usual ear-splitting garage sound is nowhere to be found here, I’d argue that's what makes it such a unique release. The opening track “I Agree” has a similar sort of sound to what the band would explore on one of their most popular tracks “The Axis”. It’s eerie folk chords creep you into a track drenched in reverb and delay. Whilst the lyrics ironically contradict each other between the two sets of verses, vocalist John Dwyer uses the reverb and muffled effects on his voice to give the track an almost alien-like personality. Overall the track holds an eerie tone between its cold folk chords and minimalistic percussion, making it a unique deep cut in the band’s lengthy discography.
Complementing the album’s gothic folk numbers are a collection of disjointed and unorthodox tracks which make up the latter half of the EP. Songs like the moody psych folk piece “I Am Slow”, with it’s sampled seagull wails, and the album’s two electronic drone tracks, fittingly titled “Drone #3” and “Drone #4” are all examples of the early experimentation that the band would dabble in. The band would eventually return to some of their minimalistic droning sounds throughout their career, with last year’s release “The 12” Synth” continuing some of these ideas. Overall, the album upholds it’s eerie tone throughout it’s unnatural track listing, making it an enjoyable underrated gem to delve into.
Whilst it surely isn’t the most groundbreaking EP you will ever hear, and certainly isn’t the most groundbreaking release in The Oh Sees discography, Grave Blockers holds a uniquely haunting sound, making it a standout amongst the band’s releases. The folk tracks provide enough wholesome eeriness to give Kurt Vile a run for his money and the album’s wider experimentation into drone should give long time fans something to reflect on, as Grave Blockers is only the beginning of a 21-album career that has spanned 16 years. Give these tracks a try this Halloween:
I AGREE
BURNING BRIDGES
I AM SLOW
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