Fuzz-drenched fourth album from Californian guitar-shredding bawler melts eardrums but not hearts
7/10
Incredibly, "Twins" is Segall's fourth release of the year and just about his best. Having previously issued collaborations, a singles collection (already?) and an album with his band (yeah, the Ty Segall Band) this represents his own fourth studio collection since 2008. Prolific? yes. Quantity over quality? You kidding? "Twins" is certainly a better fourth album than most.
We have 'lift-off' when "Thank God For Sinners", the opening track, doesn't just open proceedings so much as blow them apart - squalls of fuzzy guitar buzz around like wasps in a bucket, while Segall proffers his trademark holler that sounds like a mastiff being neutered with a hot poker. And the fun continues on the album's highlight "You're The Doctor", a track that recently had anchors on an American news programme, on which Segall was performing, frugging like frat-kids and raising snails, albeit with a timely nod from the cameraman.
If you're old enough to remember Galaxie 500 or Thirteenth Floor Elevators or young enough to dig The Hives and Palma Violets, you might get along with this man's pop sensibilities and trigger-happy attitude to stamping on effects pedals - head to single "The Hill" for a lesson in making psychedelic fireworks, or perhaps the more plaintive "Love Fuzz", another contender for track-of-the-album. By the last of the twelve songs, "There is no Tomorrow", you're left contemplating cracking open the beers or soluble pain-killers - some of "Twins" is a bit of an onslaught on the sense.
Overall though, Ty Segall sounds like a keeper and could be staring a large stadium audience in the face, providing The Vaccines et al don't hog the limelight forever.
7/10
We have 'lift-off' when "Thank God For Sinners", the opening track, doesn't just open proceedings so much as blow them apart - squalls of fuzzy guitar buzz around like wasps in a bucket, while Segall proffers his trademark holler that sounds like a mastiff being neutered with a hot poker. And the fun continues on the album's highlight "You're The Doctor", a track that recently had anchors on an American news programme, on which Segall was performing, frugging like frat-kids and raising snails, albeit with a timely nod from the cameraman.
If you're old enough to remember Galaxie 500 or Thirteenth Floor Elevators or young enough to dig The Hives and Palma Violets, you might get along with this man's pop sensibilities and trigger-happy attitude to stamping on effects pedals - head to single "The Hill" for a lesson in making psychedelic fireworks, or perhaps the more plaintive "Love Fuzz", another contender for track-of-the-album. By the last of the twelve songs, "There is no Tomorrow", you're left contemplating cracking open the beers or soluble pain-killers - some of "Twins" is a bit of an onslaught on the sense.
Overall though, Ty Segall sounds like a keeper and could be staring a large stadium audience in the face, providing The Vaccines et al don't hog the limelight forever.