Ty Segall
Love Rudiments
Drag City Records [2024]
Album Overview: Ty Segall continues to be a prolific multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, primarily known for his work as a guitarist and vocalist in the garage rock and psych rock scenes. Over the years, he has built a broad discography that spans various genres, with each release showcasing his creative evolution. Despite his reputation for fuzzed-out guitar riffs and raw vocals, Segall consistently pushes the boundaries of his sound, experimenting with different instruments and styles. Love Rudiments is one of his most ambitious stretches, exploring Segall’s connection with percussion. The album is entirely instrumental and emphasizes rhythm and percussion as its core elements, offering a unique perspective on his musicality. Unlike typical solo projects that might focus on a single instrument, this album utilizes the drum kit as the foundation for a broader exploration of the subject. The tracks are arranged to reflect a narrative of love, from its intense beginnings to a more reflective conclusion. Many fans of Segall may not stick with this album for long, but I challenge you to hang with it to absorb his full vision. I am not an expert on percussion, so I would argue that Love Rudiments may not be something you revisit immediately, but it is undoubtedly another fascinating record in Ty’s ever-growing catalog.
Musical Style: The album showcases a variety of percussive instruments, including timpani, vibraphone, xylophone, and electronic drums. The arrangements create a rich sonic landscape where each percussive element contributes to the album’s thematic narrative. The use of these instruments provides a dynamic and textured listening experience, revealing different layers of rhythm and tone.
Evolution of Sound: Love Rudiments marks a distinct shift in Segall’s discography, moving away from his guitar-centered sound to focus on percussion. This evolution highlights his versatility as a musician and his ability to create a cohesive album that stands apart from his previous works. The record reflects his growth in embracing different musical elements and using them to express complex emotions.
Artists with Similar Fire: Fans of artists like Jaki Liebezeit (Can), Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead), and Steve Reich may find similarities in Segall’s rhythmic exploration on Love Rudiments. Other modern artists who have launched percussion-centric records, like the 2014 collaborative album from Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt) and Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), or solo projects from Cavs (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard), align with the experimental approach of Segall’s focus on percussion.
Pivotal Tracks: The album doesn’t follow traditional song structures, making it challenging to identify individual tracks as “pivotal.” However, certain moments in the album’s four sections stand out for their rhythmic complexity and the way they contribute to the overall narrative. For instance, the end of the second track, “First Touch,” increases in intensity after transitioning out of a more electronic segment. The third track, “Honeymoon,” moves fluidly with quick shifts across several instruments. As a combined 36-minute artistic journey, each track and its segments help to define the album’s thematic trajectory, highlighting Segall’s percussive creativity.
TY SEGALL REVIEW HISTORY
Three Bells (2024) / “Hello, Hi” (2022) / Harmonizer (2021) / Segall Smeagol EP (2020) / Pig Man Lives Volume 1 (2019) / First Taste (2019) / Deforming Lobes (2019) / Fudge Sandwich (2018) / Fried Shallots EP (2017) / Freedom’s Goblin (2018) / Ty Segall (2017) / Emotional Mugger (2016) / Ty Rex (2015) / Mr. Face EP (2015) / Live In San Francisco (2015) / $ingle$ 2 (2014) / Manipulator (2014) / Gemini (2013) / Sleeper (2013) / Twins (2012)
OTHER TY SEGALL PROJECTS REVIEW HISTORY
FUZZ: III (2020) / Wasted Shirt: Fungus II (2020) / The C.I.A.: The C.I.A. (2018) / GØGGS: Pre-Strike Sweep (2018) /Joy (w/ White Fence) (2018) / GØGGS: GØGGS (2016) / FUZZ: II (2015) / Reverse Shark Attack (w/ Mikal Cronin) (2013) / FUZZ: FUZZ (2013) / The Traditional Fools: The Traditional Fools (2013)
TY SEGALL LINKS
Official Website | Drag City | Instagram
- Ty Segall: Love Rudiments [Album Review] - September 11, 2024
- Peel Dream Magazine: Rose Main Reading Room [Album Review] - September 5, 2024
- GIFT: Illuminator [Album Review] - September 4, 2024