No matter what you think of Ty Segall’s music, you can’t deny his ability to release it. In the last three years alone the garage rocker has been nothing if not prolific, putting out six full-length records and a handful of EPs and singles. That stat line is impressive. Yet when you consider the fact that his latest, Manipulator, has singularly consumed his last 14 months, it becomes evident just how hard this kid works.
Segall’s back catalog is good, not great. Each consisting of a few mind-numbing numbers and a handful of pretty good songs to fill in the gaps, his records truly illustrate the idea that the more time you spend on something, the better it’s going to be. They also illustrate the idea that Segall is seriously onto something; he just needs a little push.
Manipulator is by far the Segall’s most time-invested effort, but it’s curiously not his best. Yes, its guitars are as fuzzy as ever, its melodies are joyous, and its solos slay. Yet every song here sounds way too familiar, as if I’ve heard them all on Segall’s previous records.
Consequently, Manipulator finds Segall positioning himself as garage-rock’s Spoon: you know exactly what you’re getting before you even get it. If you like the rest of his catalog, you’re sure as heck going to like this; if you don’t, I doubt this Manipulator will affect you the way most do.
Manipulator