OFF COURSEE

The Artist

Osees, the current name for the shape-shifting garage-psych band led by John Dwyer, have spent more than two decades operating under a rotating cast of monikers including Thee Oh Sees, OCS, and Oh Sees. Formed in San Francisco and now based in Los Angeles, Dwyer's project is defined by relentless output, a dual-drummer live attack, and a restless appetite for genre: krautrock motorik, garage snarl, prog excursions, synth experiments, and jazz-inflected freakouts all coexist in the catalog. Dwyer's yelping vocals, fuzzed-out 12-string riffs, and Tim Hellman's rubbery bass anchor the group's identity even as the sound mutates. Their releases come fast and frequently, with EPs, one-offs, and side projects filling the gaps between full-lengths. OFF COURSE sits within that sprawling, ever-expanding body of work as one of the band's shorter, more focused transmissions.

The Album

OFF COURSE is a compact release from the Osees camp, self-produced by Dwyer in the DIY tradition that has shaped nearly every record the band has put out. Recording sessions for the group typically happen in home and small studio setups, with Dwyer overseeing the mixes and often handling much of the sonic architecture himself. At five tracks, the record functions more like an extended EP than a traditional LP, giving the band room to stretch out on ideas without the sprawl of their longer statements. The short runtime lets each piece land with a specific mood rather than getting absorbed into a larger arc. Thematically, the songs lean into the paranoid, mythic, and unsettled corners of Dwyer's writing, with references to occult figures and figures brought low.

Listen For

The riff engine. Dwyer's guitar tone is central to the Osees identity: fuzzed, trebly, and locked into repeating figures that build hypnotic momentum. Notice how the riffs on "OFF COURSE" and "SYRINGE" work as much through repetition as through melody.

The rhythm section's grip. The bass and drums do enormous lifting in this band, keeping things propulsive while the guitars go feral. Listen to how the low end anchors the churn on "HECATES REFLECTION IS A TRICK."

Track-to-track pacing. With only five songs, sequencing matters. Pay attention to how the record moves from "OFF COURSE" through the "TRICK" pairing and into "THE BRUTE ON HIS KNEES," and whether the closer feels like a resolution or a cliff.

Dwyer's vocal delivery. His voice is more texture than traditional lead, floating and yelping over the mix. Track how it shifts across "THE TRICK" and whether the lyrics come through clearly or sit inside the noise.

Occult and downfall imagery. The titles alone gesture toward mythology and humiliation, with Hecate's name invoked and a brute brought to his knees. Consider what world these songs are building across the short runtime.