Recently, Ty Segall has been flying solo despite his history of frequent collaborations. But for his latest project, Freckle, the Californian musician has once again found a creative partner—Corey Madden, known from Color Green, a band that already crafts music reminiscent of Segall’s style.
Their self-titled debut album (out via God?) holds no real surprises. It’s the sun-drenched garage rock with folk and psych influences that Segall has long mastered. There are some improvisations and sketches, but that’s about as experimental as it gets.
Opener Paranoid delivers a classic Segall track, with Madden taking a backseat. For the Last Time unfolds like a mini rock opera, while Taraval offers the kind of beautifully harmonized folk rock we’ve come to love.
A highlight comes with Who’s Sitting on the Moon, which gradually builds into a sweeping psych-rock finale. Yet overall, the album doesn’t take the risks one might have expected. Compared to past collaborations with White Fence or Brian Chippendale, Freckle plays things much safer.
Freckle – Freckle: Familiar fare. – RIFL
