Review
Ty Segall
Twins

Ty Segall is in constant motion. This year alone, he’s released a collection LP, a collaboration with White Fence, and now a solo record—all while maintaining a steady string of tour dates. While he’s been releasing records since 2008, Twins is the first I’ve sat down and given listen. Billed as a garage rocker, Segall’s music pulls from varied sources. Genre-wise, it’s as much psych-rock as it is garage, with elements from many other directions coming through at appropriate times. For example, while much of the record utilizes softer 1960s psych elements that give fluidity to the songs, Segall isn’t afraid to blast some volume. “They Told Me To” sounds like if The Melvins were playing psychedelic rock, and “Handglams” brings its share of pedal-stomping, noise-inspired jams to complement the wah-wah. Even in songs like “Who Are You,” which is really built around calming vocals and a groove-based hook, the songs have an imprint of chaos and unpredictability blended in with the jams. It’s ass-shaking music; yet, it’s calm with an underbelly of rebellion. To blab on like the pretentious music writer I am, it transcends genre.

Side A is more on the traditional garage side of things, utilizing some down’n’dirty guitar leads and more vocal grit. “Thank God for Sinners” and “You’re the Doctor” are both energetic, faster tempo songs. Meanwhile, elements of The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” come to surface in “Ghost.”

As the record progresses, the psych elements ooze in. With “The Hill,” the transition switches over completely. Sure, the guitars are buzzsaw, at times, with a penchant for volume, but the melodies and vocal cues are pure 1960s. Continuing from here, the record begins to mix in more pedal work and distortion. Rather than floating paisleys at the listener, Segall offers a mixture of smooth melody along with some seedy attitude. Though the record tightropes so many sounds, there is a clear and consistent feel. Even the acoustic “Gold on the Shore” fits in with the rest of Twins and, ultimately, that consistent tone is what defines the record.

While it won’t top my 2012 lists, the record has made a mark and I’ll be sure to watch Segall’s next project which will, undoubtedly, be released before the press has cooled on this one.