Ty Segall is about as prolific as you can get.
At the young age of 26, Segall has already released eight solo albums, while at the same time being a part of countless other bands.
On Sleeper, he steps away from the screamed and fuzzy electric guitar infused sounds of his previous efforts to a more acoustic, psychedelic mood that allows his songwriting prowess to shine.
His latest release is also his most introspective, with Segall revealing in interviews that it was written following his father passing away after a long battle with cancer, and his subsequent estrangement from his mother.
On ‘Crazy’, Segall is irresistibly catchy in his own strange and brilliant way, while imploring the “little one” to not “forgive where you come from”. In subsequent interviews, the Californian multi-instrument has been non-too subtle in saying that this specific song is about his estrangement from, and resentment towards, his mother.
In contrast to much of Ty Segall’s previous releases, Sleeper is almost entirely based around the acoustic guitar, with only one, brilliant, interjection of electric guitar on ‘The Man Man’.
Despite this seemingly narrow approach, he still manages to take the listener on a journey through his diverse talents and eclectic ability to create strange and wonderful songs, from the country-tinged ‘6th Street’, to the distortion-heavy ‘Queen Lullabye’. And what an enjoyable journey this proves to be.
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‘Come Outside’ displays another side of the musician again, with high-pitched and strained vocals over the top of the quietly strained guitars, and drums slowly adding urgency to the track. The lyrics are again broad and subtle, with lines such as “Do you spend your time, inside your mind?” contributing to the smoky dream-like qualities of the record.
Ty Segall’s eighth solo albums proves that he is so much more than fuzzy guitars and roaring vocals; he is a truly talented songwriter and musician, and Sleeper displays this clearly and emphatically.
