One of the most annoying and over used terms in all walks of journalism is the postscript of '...on acid.' This is commonly used to show how something has changed as if they were on massive amounts of psychadelics. This normally is a complete load of bollocks, and is a term used by someone who cannot really grasp ideas or sounds that challenge their preconceptions. However, Thee Oh Sees really are the Mamas and the Papas on acid. I'm sure of it. Brigid Dawson is clearly Mama Cass after the Atkins and a fistful of microdots.
'Help' is their third album, although if you consider that Thee Oh Sees are merely a vehicle for John Dwyer, 2009's answer to Lux Interior, then this is just one in the string of both albums and bands that have showcased Dwyer's skill at taking sun-kissed, Californian pop and injecting a healthy amount of distortion and garage-spirit into it. Despite Dwyer's acumen in and around his native San Francisco, there's still a DIY approach to the production of the album that really captures the nostalgic, playful sense of a band doing what they love.
The album is consistently entertaining, with 'Destroyed Fortress Reappears', 'Peanut Butter Oven' and 'Enemy Destruct' perfectly showcasing the lo-fi talents of the band. In many ways its simple to see how Thee Oh Sees and Wavves have become linked together musically and socially; both of them exact a level of crackly nostalgia that is comparable to flicking through a 1970's punk zine or finding a teenage loveletter inside your Dad's LPs.
Although the album's noisy decadance can be a little grating, especially through repeated plays, 'Help' commands a massive amount of respect for fans of both new noise projects (Wavves, HEALTH etc), lo-fi recording (Milky Wimpshake, Casiotone For The Painfully Alone) and the greatest of American sun-pop.
8/10
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