Rachel Lanza
Contributing Writer
Between his release of “Manipulator” in 2014 and the seemingly countless collaborations that Ty Segall is doing, he seems to have been a busy guy lately.
Turning to a Bowie-esque style, Segall’s psychedelic vocals and folk influence bring a “Slaughterhouse” feel to his new EP “Mr. Face” which was released in January of 2015.
Comprised of popular garage-rock musicians Charles Mootheart, Mikal Cronin and Emily Epstein, this lo-fi super troupe sticks with the usual psychedelic garage-rock feel, returning to their classic exploration in the realm of garage rock.
Although it is only 13 minutes, the four-song record seems far from rushed, unlike “Melted,” which seems to be over in a matter of minutes.
Philip Bergeron / Graphic Design Editor
Ridden with guitar solos, the entire album is melodic and almost slow paced, primarily being composed of simple acoustic guitar and a basic bass line. The EP starts with “Mr. Face,” a rhythmic folk song with Dylan-esque vocals and shredding guitar solos.
Although the song brings Segall back to a world of simple, lo-fi garage rock, it is overall unimaginative, sounding relatively generic in the world of lo-fi garage rock.
The last minute and a half of the song picks up into what seems like a sunshine pop ballad with the ever so catchy repetition of lyrics. Moving into a more upbeat tempo, “Circles” offers a unique take on a typical 60s sounding psychedelic garage pop song.
With a simple layer of piccolo over the catchy vocals and guitar riff, this memorable song sticks out on the album, making it one of the main highlights of the EP.
The record moves into the stoner track “Drug Mugger.” Laden with solid guitar solos, this track seems like it could have been taken straight off of “Melted.”
The EP ends off on a slow and gloomy note with “The Picture,” the most heavily Bob Dylan influenced song that Segall has seemed to put out.
Overall, this record shows that Segall seems to be regressing in his music, going back to a “Sleeper” sound instead of continuing in the “Slaughterhouse” direction that he seemed to be heading in.
Famous Class put out this novelty EP with 3-D glasses and artwork to match, being a must have for vinyl lovers. The translucent red and blue 7” vinyl record that hosts the four song EP is overall a lo-fi filler album for fans who are waiting for more mind-blowing guitar solos and psychedelic lyrics. Being called “prolific,” Segall’s large variation of music keeps listeners on their toes for what comes next.
Even if Ty Segall’s solo career isn’t for you, his projects such as “Fuzz,” “The Epsilons” and “Sic Alps” will probably have something everyone can enjoy. He recently announced a solo tour, in addition to co-headlining the Santa Ana based festival, Burgerama, with such bands as Weezer and Fidlar.
After releasing something like “Manipulator,” the expectations were high for Segall to create more mind-bending Zeppelin-esque music, but not to fear, it seems as if he is always coming out with something new.
Rated: 6/10
Rachel Lanza can be contacted at Rachel.Lanza@ksc.keene.edu
