By Hunter Bych, Contributor
[Drag City; 2018]
Rating: 8/10

Key Tracks: “Alta”, “Cry Cry Cry”, “And, Goodnight”

The yearly release of Ty Segall has come upon us once again with Freedom’s Goblin, an album surprisingly longer than what is usually expected from his usual. His 10^th album clocks in at 74 minutes with 19 tracks – quite a marathon compared to his usual under 40-minute albums he has put out in the last few years. The garage-psychedelic-fuzz rock is here and longer than ever before, so what is there to complain about?

Ty is drawing a lot from the past in this album,  including his style from his older works like the distorted psychedelic 60s in Melted, and the distorted fuzz in Slaughterhouse. There is a maturity to each of those older styles. His sound production emulates garage rock as wonderful as always, with the guitar and drum work offering what he does best. There may be a lot to go through, but it flies through quickly, with many tracks to love. From solid headbangers like “5ft. Tall” and “Shoot You Up”, to even more retro and calmer tracks such as “Rain” and “I’m Free”, there are plenty of songs that fit Freedom Goblin’s repertoire. “Meaning” even features his wife putting out a good punk anthem to scream along to.

From beginning to end, there is something to enjoy from Freedom’s Goblin. “Fanny Dog”, “Every 1’s A Winner” and “Rain” really help make the first 20 minutes go by, however “Alta” is one of the first to really stand out. The keyboard that plays throughout the song along with the bridge guitar solo is superb. “Cry Cry Cry” is one of his slower ballads that has a fuzzy, distorted 60s vibe. “And, Goodnight” is a fantastic way to close out the album.

At the end of it all, Freedom’s Goblin has a lot going for it with very little to complain about. Well-rounded and guaranteed to find something you will enjoy. Ty Segall has some tenacity going for him in these yearly releases. Many artists would burn out and get worse, but Ty has found a way to avoid that and put out the quality music fans love.

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