Thee Oh Sees Orc

Not only does Floating Coffin boast perhaps the best and most appropriately wacky artwork yet to adorn a record by these garage-psych kings; it may be Thee Oh Sees' best collection of tunes. Their 12th studio album narrows Thee Oh Sees' focus after the stylistic sprawl of Putrifiers II, honing in on (and scrubbing down) their neon-soaked, fuzz-encrusted sound just enough to give the feel of a record destined to be a classic. It's got twin guitar leads, blood-boiling organ riffs, swirling and sticky melodies, and a declarative hard-rocking identity. From the roaring stomp of "I Come from the Mountain," the Krautrock-inflected "No Spell," and the bass-driven, hyper-speed havoc of "Maze Fancier" to the viola-sighing, discontented "Minotaur," Floating Coffin has a cohesive structure and accessible sonic-palate thrills. The Bay Area is darn lucky to have these guys—along with an embarrassment of other musical riches—and they know it. Thee Oh Sees wear a crown, bestowed by the bloodied masses at their feral live shows and the armchair travelers who enjoy their mind-melting excursions from a distance. We're not worthy.