Being a dedicated fan of Ty Segall must be a full time job in itself. The prolific 26 year old can already be considered a veteran of the west coast garage-rock scene, having released dozens of albums (three in 2012 alone) and even more in the way of collaborations since he began plying his trade in the mid 2000’s. His only solo release in 2013 however, is a very different proposition altogether. The passing of Segall’s Father late last year and subsequent estrangement from his Mother have rather unsurprisingly impacted the recording of new record, Sleeper.
The array of prog, glam, and garage-rock influences Segall has become celebrated for takes a back seat here, replaced with a predominantly acoustic and deeply personal collection of psychedelic–folk tunes, each seemingly more cathartic than the last. Lo-fi and bare to the point of sounding like yet unfinished demos, tracks like 'Crazy' and 'The Man Man' are instantly engaging in their honest sentiment.
Where the record lacks some of the raw power of Segall's previous work, sonically, this is anything but shallow. Alt-country, open string chords re-jumbled proudly amongst mid-era Beatles vocals, bluesy steel guitars and even the odd string accompaniment. Profound and brilliantly written, Sleeper may be Segall's most subdued record yet, but it's up there with his brightest.
