Record Review - Ty Segall: Melted

Here it is. Ty Segall has officially raised the bar on Frisco noise-pop with Melted, an album that balances concise hooks with blown-speaker fidelity, achieving lo-fi perfection. The album maintains the primitive, psychedelic dirge qualities that keep him tied to his peers Thee Oh Sees, Nobunny, the Fresh & Onlys, etc. But as the first falsetto coo and broken, acoustic jangle of “Finger” explodes with a squelch and a distorted smash, it’s clear that he means business like never before. “Girlfriend” carries the first signs of carefree, melodic brilliance made all the more compelling by layers of jagged white noise. The upward trajectory continues into the melancholy of “Sad Fuzz,” before diving headlong into the doom-pop riffs of the title track. “Bees” degenerates into an annoying warble about drugs, but in the context of so many great songs, it’s forgivable. With its cycle of swelling, heart-pounding melodies and discordance, “Imaginary Person” seals the deal, making Melted the album that this whole scene has strived to create. 5 out of 5 stars.