Dog Poison

Could it be that supreme garage-psych rockers Thee Oh Sees are borrowing more from the late-60’s Haight Street playbook than from the blueprint of pre-1967 garage rock? John Dwyer and pals have had a busy 2009, releasing a handful of singles, a DVD (see *Thee Hounds of Foggy Notion*) and two albums, and have yet to sound redundant. “The River Rushes” manages to conjure both Mark E. Smith of the Fall (*what*-?) and a shambling, smoke-filled, hippie-jam fest, and a few tracks, like the trippy and charmingly twitchy “Dead Energy,” run barefoot through the latter scenario. Don’t worry, these San Franciscans understand the power of the feral side and aren’t about to abandon the sound that made ’em; tracks like “The FIZZ” and “I Can’t Pay You to Disappear” still churn and roil, and the fuzzed-out jangle on tunes like “Sugars Boat” brings a little sugar to the party. Bands like Thee Oh Sees tend to go under- appreciated; love them now.

The hyper-prolific garage-rockers manage to put a few new spins on their familiar formula.

Anyone who thought the (relatively) louder, tighter, and more streamlined approach of Thee Oh Sees' second official album, Help, was a sign this group might be falling out with its inner freak need not have worried.