7/10

It is hard to imagine a group like Oh Sees still managing to produce high-calibre and engaging content at this stage in their career. Averaging more than one new album a year since their infancy, the band have managed to continue their constant level of competency from the very beginning, returning now to release their twenty-first studio album 'Smote Reverser', a record that still throws out plenty of fresh ideas throughout.

While purists will obviously point out that this is only the second studio album under their new name Oh Sees, 'Smote Reverser' is very much a call back to the band's own beginnings as Thee Oh Sees. Bringing back their strong psych-rock influences and throwing the key player more solos than he could ever dream of, the album is a wonderfully weird and wild ride. Filled with expansive breaks and fancy guitar work, it seems like the group are far from loosing their enthusiasm for their music, making this one of the more fun releases we have heard from them in a while.

It may have a rough-around-the-edges sound to it, but that just seems to be part of the charm of Oh Sees at this stage. Twenty one albums in and still managing to surprise us is no easy feat, but 'Smote Reverser' is a lively and enjoyable collection that just shows that if you have the passion, it will never leave you.