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Garage rock has made quite a resurgence in the last several years, and it’s been enforced, or heralded, by one torch bearer or another. In the resurgence era we had King Khan, Jay Reatard and now we’ve got Ty Segall. His new album Melted, on Goner Records, is just a dirty rocking party fueled by catchy choruses and pounding rhythms, so let’s get to it.
Ty has a style all his own, and its first apparent when he opens the album with “Finger,” just slowly strumming and lightly howling for a few extra bars. Then the garage rock power fuzz kicks in. There’s nothing clean about the sound on this track, and yet there doesn’t need to be, as Segall’s changing vocal delivery powers us through, right into “Ceasar.” Bobbing bass lines bounce you through this number, as the percussion sort of bangs away haphazardly. Beneath the grit here lies Segall’s ability to carry melody, which he treats you to about midway through the track.
Melted doesn’t just pound away at your ears graciously, as the band can add a little bit of a jangle and swing to their numbers. “Sad Fuzz” allows room for the vocals to sort of place around, and yet the chorus provides listeners with the impression of a young man slinging his guitar about, which you’re likely to catch live. Album closer “Alone” also demonstrates Ty Segall stepping outside of the scuzzy barroom brawl, doing his best to pull every bit of melody out of his words as possible. While it might seem like a it of a drone, it definitely accomplishes its goal, closing the record with an appropriate breather.
Soft points aside, make no mistake that this album is stocked full of straight ahead power and energy, of that disastrous sort. After getting lost in the meandering feedback of “Imaginary Person” your caught up immediately in a bouncing number that powers along, much in the way Jay Reatard did prior to his death. It’s the arena that brings about the best in Segall, combining his interest in modern garage rock with his desire to provide a little bit of a hook for the audience. This is perhaps one of the best numbers on the album, almost bringing about the inner Danzig in the singer. And you can’t ignore the forceful “My Sunshine,” which bangs around with remnants of late 60s garage. Nothing on this track sounds clean: not the vocals, not the drums, not the guitar. All the while, you’re tapping your feet, waiting to see what’s coming next, only to be side-swiped by a nice little guitar solo to end the song.
Ty Segall is keeping himself busy right about now, working on his own stuff and recording the works of others. One would think that this wouldn’t leave time for much creativity, but rest assured, there is nothing boring about Melted. It’s loud and boisterous when it wants to be, and it can be a little bit gentle in spots. Such a combination packs the perfect amount of punch, and just racks up another successful record from Ty.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Caesar.mp3]
Download: Ty Segall – Caesar [MP3]
