Released just before they embark on their North American tour, garage-punk band Thee Oh Sees, currently going by Osees, are switching lanes into synth-punk on their latest track and video, “Goon.” Once a solo project of guitarist and vocalist John Dwyer, the band is known for constant name changes and reinventions from album to album. On their second single from their upcoming album, Intercepted Message, “Goon” wastes no time to turn the amps up with the help of some tasteful 80s synths.
Complete with verses and a chorus that comes rapidly in just over two minutes of track time, Dwyer’s voice, using his gravelly diaphragm, shouts like there’s no tomorrow. From the jump, the drums go at lightning speed without slowing down for a second, fitting for “your 24-hour news cycle eyes,” as Dwyer put it when describing his intentions behind the song. The quote also applies to the lyrics, with Dwyer seemingly speaking to conformities and embracing himself as a goon while simultaneously raising hell on the guitar.
The music video clocks in at the same exact time as the song, keeping matters concise and tight. Perhaps just as tight as Zack Palmisano’s muscles, the focal point of the video. Alone in a mostly empty gym, he pumps iron through constantly changing frames, taking note of posters that tell him to “work hard” and “use every single inch.” He takes the latter to heart and comically uses his hard-on to lift heavy weights like the star of an absurd 80s movie à la Repo Man.
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“Goon,” described by Dwyer as “a pop record for tired times. Sugared with bits of shatterproof glass to put more crack in your strap,” just about captures that essence and then some. It also helps that the music video works so well with the track and understands how much it will get your blood flowing. But that should be expected from a band that, after more than twenty studio albums, still manages to keep everyone guessing about what’s around the corner.
Words: David Sosa
“Goon” by Osees is out on all streaming services. For more on their upcoming album and North American tour, including a date at Substance Festival in LA on November 9th, follow them on Bandcamp and their website.
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