Last week, the ever-prolific Ty Segall dropped an album without any advance warning. Called Harmonizer, the Drag City release features Ty's signature brand of noise rock, with surprising cohesion. That he can make this sort of out there stuff and still keep things focused says a lot about Ty's abilities.
"Learning" opens things with a moody mix of acid rock and electronics, while the more impressive "Erased" brings a touch of menace to things. I must admit that I almost wish there was more on Harmonizer like this one, though the title cut comes close. At times here, Ty seems like he's taking inspiration from old Fad Gadget records, though Segall's axe comes out far more often than Frank would have played his. For those looking for more familiar tracks, the lovely "Play" and the raucous "Feel Good" are quite reminiscent of recent releases from TS and his band.
The usual Segall associates are here and in fine form, with Charles Moothart's drum-work showing real nuance. Harmonizer, with contributions as well from Mikal Cronin and Emmett Kelly, works best as a showcase for Segall's own obsessions, and as the first new Ty album in two years, it's faintly experimental. Still, things never stray too far from the usual Segall excellence, with the variations here being subtle ones in spots, and noisy ones in others. All that is to say that for all the surprise with its release, Harmonizer pleases in the usual way Ty Segall records do.
Harmonizer is out now via Drag City.
More details on Ty Segall via the official website.
[Photo: Denée Segall]