Album Of The Week: Ty Segall

It’s a brand new year, so obviously the garage rock genius Ty Segall is going to be putting out a new album to melt everyone’s face off. His ninth solo release due out on January 27, among a total discography that consists of over 30 recordings, is self-titled and it goes back to his roots. Segall grabs hold of the Marc Bolan influence and rides it with amplified intensity. His guitar riffs are reminiscent of ‘70s glam and the shredding never ends. The Los Angeles-based rocker is back with authority while continuing his amazingly prolific output.

Joined by longtime collaborators Mikal Cronin on bass, Charles Moothart on drums, Emmett Kelly on guitar and Ben Boye on piano, Segall unleashes a raw and nasty sound. There’s a raging fury that’s echoed in his songwriting while his voice has a peculiar amount of swagger. Each track reaches stratospheric levels of energy and exuberance. The consistency of the self-titled release goes along with Segall’s entire music career. It’s always been quality work with no nonsense and no frills.

It’s hard to believe Ty Segall is still in his 20s. It’s also hard to believe that he hasn’t been signed to a major label yet, but he probably wouldn’t want to do that anyway. There’s more freedom that comes to being part of an independent label versus the corporate big boys. From examining Segall’s music at this point in his career, he’s used that freedom to his ultimate advantage. To see how much freedom he uses in his latest release, let’s check out my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week:

The lead single, “Orange Color Queen,” is a love song for Segall’s girlfriend Denée that starts all romantic, and then there’s an edgy tone that increases as it goes along. “Break A Guitar” is absolutely badass and hard-hitting from the start. The solos are spine-tingling and an excellent example of the album’s stellar shredding. With a thudding start, “The Only One” is a rhythmic wrecking ball destroying everything in its path. Segall gets a tad bluesy on the vocals for this one, and the song is reminiscent of what he’s done with the band Fuzz.

Unfortunately for fans in New England, Segall won’t be rolling through this year. The closest to our neck of the woods he’ll be at will be during a three-night stay at Warsaw in Brooklyn from May 17 to May 19. If you’re willing to make the trip, then you should definitely try to catch one of the shows. Until Ty Segall comes to your friendly neighborhood music venue, grab a copy of his self-titled release when it comes out. Its brain-oozing awesomeness will give your senses a jolt.

Stream “Break A Guitar” via Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/drag-city/ty-segall-break-a-guitar; Ty Segall’s Website: ty-segall.com