Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger (Drag City, 2016)
Ty Segall’s new album Emotional Mugger sounds like a Ty Segall album: loud guitars, a fuzzy, melodic low end and Segall’s faux British accent chiming in. The album is made up of songs indistinguishable from one another, each showcasing an guitar solo as interesting as a running tap. Emotional Mugger has a circus-like whimsy that occasionally recalls The Beatles’ Magical Mystical Tour, especially on “Breakfast Eggs.” This is Segall’s first solo release since 2014’s Manipulator, a much more refined record. Emotional Mugger is a listenable mess of dull confusion that lacks direction, like a really good jam session. In other words, it’s a lesser Ty Segall album. It could be worse.
Trial Track: “Mandy Cream”
6/10
