Category: Reviews

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The last few years have seen Ty Segall take the world by storm, releasing blistering hit after blistering hit.  But, due to circumstances beyond his control, Ty’s taken a step backwards, in a personal sense, leaving listeners with a much more reflective listen.  Sleeper feels personal from the get-go, as Segall has shed a large part of his distortion ethos for a stripped-down acoustic affair, giving you a glimpse of his life, and yours.

“Sleeper” opens this new record, and it opens quite carefully.  A faint whistle lurks while the guitars slowly begin to make their appearance.  It’s a slow-strummed number, with Ty’s voice carefully matching his playing style, emphasizing certain words with various licks. The lyrical content seems to point towards a bit of escapism, but let’s all take our own path on how we determine the meaning.  As it moves into “The Keepers,” the mood seems to go darker, so far as you’re just listening to the tone of the guitars.  I dig his usage of understated harmony; he touches it on it carefully…not pushing it too far for the listener.

There are a few songs in the next few spots that really seem personal, and it’s rather hard to ignore the subject matter.  On “She Don’t Care” you can tell the narrator desperately wants to point out to that whomever he’s discussing is wanted, though possibly neglected.  Whether we take this as Ty’s personal reflection, or our own, we all can affiliate ourselves with unrequited feelings at some point in another, whether for ourselves or for another.  The added string arrangement atop the song really makes it a sad tune, as if those strings are crying for us all.  It’s always enjoyable to see someone known for a barrage of noise go quiet.

I think my personal favorite is the closer on Sleeper, “The West.”  I love the guitar work on this song, which is possibly the most creative on the record; it’s also a tune that I think I can relate to the most, at least at this moment.  Thematically, it seems, to me at least, to be an homage to a place you can call home, a place of solace.  Many of us have wandered or traveled, but there’s always a place that’s nice to call home.  Mom’s, dad’s or friend’s, it’s always nice to have a place to hang your hat.

Early on, Ty Segall used a lot of pieces of acoustic guitar, like on “Ceasar,” but lately we’ve been accustomed to him melting faces with his last few releases; those albums are perfectly grand, but I like the man in the picture painted by Sleeper.  You don’t always have to hammer at your guitar.  Sometimes you can sit quietly with your life and let it all pour out, which is what seems to be the case throughout this LP.  The personal touches throughout make this more than just a stop-gap between albums; it solidifies Segall as one of the most important songwriters today.

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It’s interesting that Joe Steinhardt should title his latest album under the Modern Hut moniker Generic Treasure.  For most, the word generic seems to mean basic and ordinary, but when combined with treasure, it seems like the enjoyment from this record has basically been hiding right beneath our nose the whole time; seems fitting.

One of the things that immediately came to my mind when I first pressed play is how similar Modern Hut sounds to Adam Green‘s solo work.  The affair opens up with “Mid Tempo,” using a little bit of self-deprecating humor to revel in the mundane quality that often overcomes life.  But, while the guitar work and attitude are similar, I think one of the things that makes Generic Treasure (beyond AG comparisons) so successful is the brevity of the songs.  Only a few of the tracks branch beyond the realm of the three-minute mark, making them easily digestible and not overbearing, despite the similarity of sound.

I think perhaps the most successful song, however, comes with a bit of differentiation.  Sometimes the record seems to stay in one place, and not deviating too far, except for when you come to “Life.”  This track features vocal interplay between Steinhardt and Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females fame.  Her dynamic voice is perfectly juxtaposed against the relaxed attitude of Joe’s delivery.  It’s a good spot, sequencing-wise too, as it breaks up a bit of the monotony.  For me, it’s the standout track.

Initially, I was head over heels for Modern Hut, and for all intents and purposes, I still quite enjoy the album as a whole; it just has to be taken in doses.  Joe’s defeatist attitude, apparent throughout most of the songs, does wear you down, so it’d be nice to see what lyrical territory he might venture into for future releases.  Admittedly, this seems to be on his mind too, as he closes out Generic Treasure with “Moving On.”  While the song seems to refer to a significant other, it could also hold an alternative meaning, indicating that we should all move on.  And in the end, I think that’s the message that really resonates with most listeners.  We’ve all found ourselves in a similar situation, surely, so the songs are definitely relatable, making the record something we can all immerse ourselves into from time to time.

My two cents is that Modern Hut‘s record is worth your time.  It’s not going to blow you away; it is a Generic Treasure, after all.  But, the songwriting is enjoyable, the lyrics are clever and Steinhardt does have a kind voice. You’ll go back to your record collection after shelving it for a bit, you’ll pull this out, and you’ll find yourself enjoying it all over again.  It might be a generic, but it’s something many people will find as a treasure.