Freckle

Now, I’ve long been a sucker for Ty Segall around here, trying my best to keep up with the steady stream of releases over the years, watching the songwriter move through phases like moon shadows. I think, among his output, I’ve always found a certain charm in the collaborative releases. These records bring out a different side of Segall, one that still displays the consummate pop-psych sorcerer, but also an artist who’s open to a sonic give and take. Past releases with White Fence, Brian Chippendale, Mikal Cronin, and Cory Hanson have numbered among his most eclectic offerings. Now, it’s another Corey that makes it into the midst, with Freckle finding Ty in league with Corey Madden of RSTB faves Color Green. The new album slips back away from some of the synth scars and scorched hooks that have permeated Ty’s recent work, feeling like a bit of a return to form. The record finds the pair exploring the loose and lysergic glam gone gooey that permeated the Self-Titled record, Freedom’s Goblin, and First Taste.

The acoustic guitar makes a bigger mark on the album that it has in quite some time, at least since Hello, Hi. The old T Rex ripple wafts through the air in purple curls of scented smoke. It’s a welcome slip back to the big speaker shakers that have been a part of Segall’s most fertile periods, but also a record that’s not afraid to wander down disjointed alleyways chasing the shadows of Kevin Ayers. While the pairing seems to have brought a spark back into Segall’s strings, there’s not a real imprint of the cosmic country foothold that Madden has made with Color Green on display, something that might have been an interesting angle. But, Madden’s more liquid guitar runs definitely weave their way through the album, giving Ty one of his best foils since Emmett Kelley. A really nicely realized record from Madden and Segall here, and one that begs further exploration. Here’s hoping this isn’t just a one off.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.

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