Editor’s Pick: Ty Segal - Twins | Jack Broughan

Deputy Entertainments Editor Jack Broughan reviews Ty Segal’s latest offering

     It’s that time of the month again; it seems Ty Segal has released yet another album. His fourth release in the last year, Segal is most definitely not shy about putting out a wealth of records. Indeed in the past four years his discography has become pretty unwieldy. Boasting ten EP’S and a further six split EP’s recorded with the likes of: The White Wires, a Garage rock outfit from Ottawa Canada and Thee Oh Sees, a Californian band that touches the bases of Garage, Punk, Post-Punk and even psychedelic rock. Just taking a look at Segal’s last three releases reveal’s a surprising amount of versatility. Slaughterhouse is an out and out Garage rock record. Fast aggressive and chocked with riffs that’s give the Stooges a good run for their money, the record sounded more like an off the cuff live recording rather than a studio album. Hair saw Segal mix it up with White Fence. A band usually known for sleepy but somewhat abstract rock the record suffers from a slight schizophrenia, Segal’s penchant for fuzzy guitar rock audibly butts heads with White fences more relaxed manners. Lastly and Goodbye Bread released on the Drag City Label saw Segal in a far more relaxed manor. Filled with cooed vocals and soft acoustic guitar tracks about adverse mental conditions the record saw a more singer songwriter side to Segal. Concise but in places rather boring the record was interesting but didn’t have much appeal beyond the first listen.

In that light Twins is borne into interesting circumstances. Rather than question the ability of Segal to put out a different sounding record or something that touched new bases, Twins begs the question of just where Segal will go next. Unfortunately the record stumbles through a mash of just about everything Segal has done before. Certainly a mixed bag, Twins sounds more like a compilation rather than another studio record. The record opens with “Thank God For Sinners” driven by big droning guitar chords and stumbling mid tempo drums. Catchy and dripping in fuzz and feedback, the track sound just like the Segal record we’re accustomed too. “You’re a Doctor” is one of the record highlights, fast as hell, and underpinned by scrappy vocals about mental illness the track sounds once again like the garage rock sound Segal is known and loved for. “The Hill” strays more into the psychedelic territory that Segal has skirted around on other releases. The vocals on the track sound almost like the two-part harmonies one would hear on early Beatles track. Underpinned by relentless guitars and more feedback soaked melodies, it’s another welcome addition.Perhaps one of the records more immediate strengths is its ability to switch gears in terms of tone. Possibly a product of Segal’s chaotic sound, or some sort of desensitisation from being blasted with so many guitar’s swamped in speaker churning fuzz but it no doubt works. “Inside Your Heart” sees a tone of stoicism, removed from the upbeat but totally unhinged aforementioned tracks. More of long determined slog the track dissolves into drawn out guitar chords that sound like punches to some beleaguered boxers face.Despite Segal’s long and impressive discography, Twins is somewhat of a disappointment. With the ground gained in the last three releases part of my excitement for this record was to see exactly what Segal did next or more specifically what Segal would do differently. Twins is by no means a ground-breaking record, more of a mix of just about all of the sounds that Segal has touched on in the last few years sewn  together on one record. As disappointing as that may be Twins is still staggeringly a good record, the same quality that ran through Segal’s back catalogue is still there, albeit elements of all of it injected into one well-paced and well-arranged album. Not quite the new Segal record listeners were looking for but most certainly more than enough to keep us going till the next release. Judging by Segal’s pace should probably be in another few months.