Ty Segall released his 10th studio album Emotional Mugger on iTunes January 22nd. Having only listened to a very limited amount of his previous work, I thought I would be in for an album full of muffled vocals, behind a lo-fi wall of fuzz. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by his latest work and really enjoyed it for the most part.

First off, the wall of fuzz is still there, so if that’s what drew you to Ty in the past, you should check this one out for sure. Despite a few overly repetitive riff filled songs, the guitar work on the album is really well done. I’m not a huge fan of garage rock (and i’m hesitant to throw that label on this cause I feel like it’s more than that) but Emotional Mugger stood out to me with its angsty, emotional mood. The use of off beat synth sounds give the songs a sense of chaos which complement the other tracks in a strange, un-easy way. His vocals are mixed well, sitting nicely in the middle of  the crunch guitar.
The message of the album seems to be a commentary on the excessive instant gratification that we seek in today’s world. The restless nature of the album is indicative of the emotional mugging that most experience on a daily basis from the way that people interact. All in all, I think he did a good job with the album for what it is. He is now touring across the southern United States. Catch him at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans on February 20th.
Written by Jacob Stanley aka DJ Jacamo