Glam Punk / Fuzz Rock
RIYL: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Thee Oh Sees, Wand
Coming from the prolific mind of Ty Segall, Freedom’s Goblin serves as his first music release of 2018. As you might expect, this record is 19 fuzzed out tracks of pure bliss.
Kicking off with a wall of sound, the album’s opener “Fanny Dog” has a bit of a theatrical vibe to it, punched up with bass heavy licks, splashy cymbals, a super fuzzed out riff. Now, while Segall’s vocals are summed with the mix, his voice isn’t lost in the cacophony of sound therein. This is the case for the rest of the record as well. Segall’s voice is still audible, but doesn’t take center stage much.
As the album continue’s we’re met with “Every 1’s Number One,” that carries a bit of Primus in its DNA. There’s a bit of funk in the fuzz here which can be found elsewhere in the album too. From here, we have a roller coaster ride of aural attacks with “When Mommy Kills You,” a spastic, layered piece of gooey sonic goodness, followed by a big come down with an acoustic number, “My Lady’s On Fire.”
Now, while this record shows the Ty Segall aesthetic, its more than just tunes we’ve heard before. Instead, it is a celebration of his style of music in some of the best ways possible. As the album continues, there is a certain ebb and flow contained. From Fuzz Rock to Power Pop, Freedom’s Goblin has all that, and everything in between. What’s best about the record is the album’s capstone “And Goodnight” a twelve-minute slack guitar affair. If it sounds similar, its because you’ve heard parts of it before: The song is actually a re-imagining of the title track from 2013’s Sleeper.
To be frank, if you like Ty Segall, you’ll fall in love with this record immediately. If you’re so-so, this might turn your ear to become a fan. Ultimately, its a great record from a brilliant songwriter who’s appeared on over 30 releases and he’s only 30!
