- Californian rock'n'roll powerhouse Ty Segall might just be the most prolific, hard working and under-appreciated musician of note in North America. One could easily be forgiven for getting lost dealing with Segall's forever expanding catalogue of LPs, 7" singles and various side projects. He's continually evolved and morphed his sound, though recently my interest has faded somewhat: his variations of garage rock becoming all too familiar and his release schedule far too hectic.
After 2014's double LP Manipulatior, Ty took a rare year off from his solo work to tour and release a record, drumming for riff-heavy rockers Fuzz -and despite not going completely quiet- it gave the world a chance to catch our collective breath and get ready to fall in love once again. With this in mind it seems that Ty is not going to spend much of this year sitting on his hands. We're barely a month in and already Segall has pounced from the shadows with his ninth solo studio album in less than eight years, Emotional Mugger.
This latest solo outing sees Segall and his reworked backing band, now the Muggers, adopt some new sounds, namely keys and sax, occasionally don terrifying baby masks that appear on the record's front cover and -apparently- a conscious decision to go full tilt boogie. For a relatively unique and out-there dude, Emotional Mugger takes Segall's eccentricities and runs wild. There are so many odd and charming little moments and flourishes scattered throughout the album that breathe new life into all involved in the endevour.
Emotional Mugger is about as wonky, off-beat and vital sounding as Segall and co. have ever been. An almost unheard of change of pace, this deep into his musical journey and an incredibly welcomed piece of abrasive, psychedelic pop. It's a manic, brain melting record that chugs along with an intensity of a functional, full-blown madman leading a circus of LSD-riddled animals into the void and all I can l do as a simple on-looker is to keep my brain from packing up shop and crawling out of my mouth and disappearing down the rabbit hole.

- Jay Edwards.