Album Of The Week: Ty Segall’s Manipulator

Some musicians put out so much material in such a short amount of time that even the biggest music fan will have a hard time trying to catch up with them. There are acts that will probably put out two albums over the course of a calendar year, and then Los Angeles rock ‘n’ roll phenom Ty Segall puts out three solo albums and two other albums with two other bands in one year and acts like it’s all old hat. He’s 27 and he’s already put out more releases than most of the musicians he probably grew up listening to. What separates Ty from a lot of others with an extended catalog is that he’s never put out a dud. Everything he touches is rhythmic gold, like his brand new album Manipulator that’s currently out. He gets back to his roots following up last year’s acoustic gem Sleeper, and he gets louder, louder and even louder as the album goes from track to track.

There’s that ’60s psychedelic pop influence covering Manipulator like a pristine diamond sheen and that guitar of his has a snarl that seems to get angrier and more rigid with each strum. The tones are groovy and the lyrics are infectious. A wall of sound crushes everything in sight at times and the destruction is simply glorious. Ty Segall’s new album was one of the most anticipated releases of 2014 and I think it lives up to the hype.

While reading my Album Of The Week I highly recommend drinking your favorite cup of coffee and opening your mind to the adventure each album presents. Think of my top tracks as a guide to the adventure.

It was tough to choose my favorite off of Manipulator, but after much deliberation it has to be “The Crawler.” Fuzzy bass licks, crazy drum beats and distorted riffs never let up from start to finish and it’s a pure brain melter. The screech at the beginning of “It’s Over” sets the tone for a dreamy surf-punk opus that’s sure to amaze. With a tad bit of pop to go along with the emphatic guitars and drums, “Susie Thumb” makes me think that it would be a song The Kinks would have written if they started out in the late ’70s London punk scene. There are so many damn good songs off of Manipulator it’s ridiculous; once you get your hands on a copy, listen to it from front to back.

Ty Segall will roll on through Great Scott in Allston, Mass., on September 19 as part of a tour of the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the area, hit that show up because it’ll be something you won’t want to miss. Until he tears apart your friendly neighborhood music venue, grab a copy of Ty Segall’s Manipulator. It’s so fuzzy wuzzy that if it were a person you’d want to give it a hug.

Ty Segall’s Website: ty-segall.com