Rank: 3/5
The snarl of Ty Segall’s guitar isn’t the true hallmark of his sound.
It’s been done before. What defines Segall’s work is the power and management of each instrument, especially in his newest release “Emotional Mugger.”
Segall keeps a consistent gaze on the sonic territory he treads, but the development of his lyrics and vocal capability is formulated in comparison to his loose, stretchy instrumentation.
While Segall is tied to many contemporary rock bands, playing drums in Fuzz and collaborating with Whitefence, it’s easier to evaluate the quality and cognition that he puts into his solo albums and side projects.
Regardless of how similar his albums may seem, the infrequent short bursts of guitar on “California Hills” complements the switches in fidelity and lyrics, without becoming trite or irritating. When he opens the song, Segall’s voice sounds dreary and confined, but as everything progresses and the chorus hits, his vocal range sinks into a mellow spot.
While Segall is clearly inspired by early ‘70s and late ‘60s rock, “Candy Sam” dips into a chorus reminiscent of post-punk chords and flair, with hints of driving bass that push the song into a straight forward overdrive.
The acoustic session, which closes out “Candy Sam,” incorporates school children whistling and singing and highlights harmony.
The title track features a simple intuitive drum track with hi-hats running through each section of the song, in a way that keeps steady rhythm and allows the rest of the band to sound fluid. In addition, the decision to lower the vocal volume allows the voice to tell a better story than Ty croaks and sputters throughout the track.
The opening of “Mandy Cream” booms and sways with a force that brings The Rolling Stones to mind. While not as studio laden and compressed as any of The Stones discography, “Mandy” incorporates spurts of synthesized guitar into the verses, which makes the song feel retro in a oddball way, as though Segall harnessed a guitar made of microchips and computer cables.
“Squealer Two” brings up a funkadelic bassline that sounds like an early Mars Volta demo, but without the twist and turning tempos and scientifically calculated lyrics. There’s no political message here, but the lyrics evoke a fun, sing-along-melody despite being a bit strange for a usual Segall record.
If you like your rock a little greasy, over-easy and heavily distorted, go find the vinyl edition of this record. You’ll thank me later.