Haven’t heard Ty Segall’s last few records? Don’t worry, he’ll release a few more next week. That’s how it seems with the California singer and guitarist’s wildly prolific output. Segall’s stuff is mischievously tossed-off, with a reckless genius despite Segall’s intentions. Like Ryan Adams — if Adams could give up on his Austin City Limits tendencies.
Segall’s like a punk rock old west outlaw, riding a steed of electric hum and squeal, a guitar-slinging Zorro slashing his initials wherever he goes, tagging ears across the nation with his irreverent noise graffiti. What inspires Segall to release albums so frequently? Seemingly, the answer is because he can.
Segall comes to Eugene behind his latest release, called simply Ty Segall (which is not the slapdash songwriter’s first eponymous release). The album runs through Segall’s usual reference points: White Album-era Beatles, Syd Barrett and San Francisco’s psychedelic era. And at under 40 minutes, it’s hardly a complete sentence in Segall’s short attention span. In fact, with not many discernable song breaks, it’s more of a jam-sesh released in album format.
The record’s leadoff single, “Break Your Guitar,” sashays in Marc Bolan’s platforms. “Baby gonna break a guitar, Gonna make it a real big star,” Segall sings. The production on the record is overall raw and brittle, alternating with periods of extreme distortion, Kurt Cobain shrieks and even extended Grateful Dead-style experimentation.
But Segall and his band attack each stylistic shift with such intensity, and Segall’s songwriting is so effortless while his guitar playing so fierce and bloody, that when the Segall collective gets a full head of steam, it’s enough to quicken the pulse.
Ty Segall plays with Eugene’s Pancho + The Factory 8 pm Sunday, March 5, at Hi-Fi Music Hall; $15 advance, $18 doors, 21-plus.