Anyone who has tracked
Ty Segall's creative evolution since he launched his solo career in 2008 has probably noticed that new elements regularly float into his eclectic musical worldview, but very little ever entirely goes away. His canvas has gotten broader and his color palette has expanded at each turn, and 2018's Freedom's Goblin finds him putting practically all of it to work. Freedom's Goblin is a sprawling and ambitious album, packing 19 songs into 75 minutes, and while its sheer size is impressive, what really sets it apart is the wealth of ideas springing forward in every track, as well as the strength of the execution. The noisy attack of
Segall's guitar is still at the center of this music, as always, but there's a great deal else going on.
Ben Boye's keyboards are bigger in the mix than before, bassist
Mikal Cronin and drummer
Charles Moothart are still the smartest and strongest rhythm section
Segall's had to date, and the use of horns on several tracks gives these songs a big, bold feel.
Emmett Kelly returns as a superb foil for
Segall's exploratory guitar solos (there are a few jam-nific guitar duels that would bring a smile to plenty of classic rock fans), and the band is on fire from beginning to end; the homespun sloppiness of some of
Segall's early efforts has given way to a focus that's tight without strangling the performances. (The crisp, clear recording by
Steve Albini gives the performances a welcome assist.) The bold strut of the opening "Fanny Dog" connects like top-shelf garage punk played by the
Mad Dogs & Englishmen band, the taut and buzzy cover of
Hot Chocolate's 1978 disco smash "Every 1's a Winner" shows
Segall and his band can cut the funk in their own way, "My Lady's on Fire" adds a dash of Laurel Canyon mellow vibes to the mix, "Talkin 3" suggests
Segall and his crew have been listening to old
James Chance records, "Meaning" charges out of the gate like a ramped-up version of vintage
Black Sabbath, and the closing number, "And, Goodbye," sounds like the best
Neil Young extended jam since "Don't Spook the Horse." Much of the time, Freedom's Goblin plays like
Ty Segall's version of the history of rock & roll as seen from his perspective, and it's as idiosyncratic and exciting as you would expect. It's also some of the very best music
Segall has given us to date, essential for fans and strongly recommended to curious newcomers. ~ Mark Deming