Got an answer through another source: Forsythia. A very overgrown set. It's almost a thicket!

You can cut those almost to the ground and they will recover. Basically an overgrown weed that has nice flowers in early spring. Best to prune right after they flower.

It looks like there are other things in there with the forsythia, but I cannot tell what they are - weed or desirable. If they are weeds, remove them first, then step back a moment.

The beauty of a forsythia is its natural fountain-like shape. What you need to do is just bring that down to a more civilized habit without ruining the natural shape. Incorrect pruning will only compound the problem.

Try renewal or rejuvenation pruning: get in there and prune out up to one-third of the canes right to the ground; start with the oldest canes, or any that are damaged, crossing, heading off in the wrong direction, or otherwise undesirable. This will promote the growth of new shoots, and you should end up with a more civilized version of this plant, more full, less weedy-looking, and displaying its lovely fountain-like natural habit.

I've done this with several of my own forsythias and it does work wonders.