Genre-blending album that trades in Segall’s signature garage rock for strings, horns and lush arrangements.
“Possession” is Ty Segall’s 17th album in 17 years. It represents an evolution from his previous records, which tended to feature more lo-fi garage and fuzzed-out guitars and less distinctive vocals. This album was written primarily on the piano. Segall played almost every instrument himself, except for the brass and strings. The songs were co-written with Matt Yoka, the American filmmaker, who’s best known for his work in documentary film and directing music videos, including many of Segall’s.
Segall himself admits that he “threw the whole kitchen sink at this one”. Many of the songs feature string and brass sections, and the arrangements draw from The Beatles, as well as glam rock and pop influences. Segall has said that the 10 songs on the album are a spanning anthology of American stories. For example, ‘Possession’ is about the Salem witch trials in the 1690s, with lines such as “Neighbour’s daughter sentenced dead, Her toes directed downward, The washer woman a victim too, The village’s obsession”. Opener ‘Shoplifter’ reflects on economic hardship forcing people to steal food with Segall singing “She’s a shoplifter, but the rich gеttin’ richer”. It climaxes with two saxophones battling it out with the string section before returning to Segall’s multi-tracked vocals.
‘Fantastic Tomb’ opens by chugging along with one of Segall’s big riffs before the horns blast in. In the song, the main protagonist takes a job stealing from the house of “a man worth more than a country could make”, only to find himself booted into the cellar, which acts as his ‘Fantastic Tomb’. The song culminates with one of Segall’s guitar wig-outs. ‘The Big Day’ commences with a ‘Ziggy Stardust’ inspired guitar riff before the horn section launches into the fray. Lyrically, this is one of the simplest songs on the album, but its Bowie and the Mott The Hoople sounds keep the listener interested.
The album closes with ‘Another California Song’, which sums the record up well; it really does have the proverbial kitchen sink thrown at it. It’s a power-pop ditty which sees Segall “Running around Los Angeles, Tilting at the big palm trees”. This is an interesting record that navigates the culture and cityscapes of America from the 17th century to the present day and is quite possibly Segall’s most ambitious work to date.
