Ty Segall
Possession
Drag City Records [2025]
“A surreal road trip through Ty Segall’s widescreen vision—melodic, cinematic, and strikingly alive.”
Album Overview: Ty Segall came up through California’s late-2000s garage and psych scenes, breaking out with fuzzed-out solo releases and side gigs like Fuzz. Over time, he’s become a cornerstone of modern rock’s shape-shifting underground—jumping from scuzzy punk and glam to acoustic ballads and sprawling prog. Across fifteen previous albums, Segall has never sat still, always chasing the next sonic rabbit hole. Whether bashing out riffs in a sweaty basement or layering strings at his own Harmonizer Studios, his creative compass keeps spinning.
Possession, Segall’s 16th full-length, is another big swing. Co-written with filmmaker Matt Yoka, the album unfolds like a surreal road movie—half alternate history, half cracked mythology. It’s vivid, weird, and never in one place for too long. Segall pulls in horns, strings, piano, and vocal layers to soundtrack this cinematic sprawl. You get paranoia, wonder, and a kind of dream-logic tension throughout. Rather than looking inward like some of his recent work, this one gazes outward—at the fractured American psyche and the absurdity of it all.
Musical Style: Don’t come here looking for straight-up guitar bangers. Possession dials back the distortion and turns up the textures. Electric piano grooves snake around brass blasts, orchestral builds, and dense vocal harmonies. There’s sax from longtime collaborator Mikal Cronin and arrangements that feel part glam-theater, part warped soul revue. Some parts echo vintage rock, but mostly this album exists on its own wavelength—moody, cinematic, and anti-formula.
Evolution of Sound: Segall used to thrive on immediacy—shredded solos, garage chaos, lo-fi catharsis. Possession is slower burning, more compositional. There’s real dynamic range here: peaks, valleys, quiet tension, and grand release. His piano work takes a bigger role, guiding many of the melodies and shifting the emotional weight of the record. If Manipulator and Freedom’s Goblin were maximalist statements, this album is more refined in its bigness—structured like a suite, but loose enough to stay weird.
Artists with Similar Fire: If you dig the orchestrated madness of early Sparks, the shape-shifting moods of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, or the layered storytelling of later-era Wilco, there’s a good chance Possession will land. There’s also a dash of Beach Boys vocal sunshine, some Harry Nilsson character weirdness, and echoes of Deerhunter, Ariel Pink, and even the oddball polish of Todd Rundgren. Theatrical? A bit. But in a way that lets the songs breathe, bend, and break.
Pivotal Tracks: “Buildings” drops the guitar entirely and leans into a smoky electric piano vibe that creeps in like a noir film. The title track “Possession” is a swirling mix of horns and abstract imagery, maybe the album’s strangest and most poetic moment. “Fantastic Tomb” kicks off with swagger, pairing slick grooves with layered ambiance—a strong statement for the whole record. “Shining” brings some sunshine with its sing-along melodies and blown-out pop energy. These tracks chart the emotional range of the album—from both heavy to light and lifted.
Lyrical Strength: Segall, with help from Matt Yoka, leans into impressionistic and symbolic writing this time out. Don’t expect a clear narrative—these lyrics work like dream fragments, full of allegory and Americana weirdness. Yoka’s outsider perspective gives the record a visual, storyboarding kind of feel, while Segall stretches his phrasing to match the vibe. The result? Lyrics that paint more than explain, creating a world that feels both haunted and oddly familiar.
Final Groove: Possession isn’t Segall’s flashiest record or his most immediate—but it’s one of his most thoughtfully constructed and immersive. It’s less about ripping through your speakers and more about pulling you into its own orbit that balances the orchestration and catchy melodies. Longtime fans will find plenty to chew on, especially if they’ve grown with Segall’s more experimental turns. In fact, this record feels like a subtle course correction—a step back from the more fragmented and exploratory vibe of recent releases, while still sounding fresh and forward-moving. There’s a clearer through-line here, more in tune with the narrative ambition of albums like Manipulator. For newcomers, it might not be an entry point—but it rewards patience and multiple listens. Another solid addition to the Ty canon, and a reminder that he’s still pushing forward, even when he’s revisiting familiar ground. Wherever Segall’s headed next, you can bet it won’t be dull.
TY SEGALL REVIEW HISTORY
Love Rudiments (2024) / 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
Freckle: Freckle (2025) / 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
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