Ty Segall – ‘Love Rudiments’ album review: instrumental experimentation from a creative genius
THE SKINNY: Ty Segall has always been one of those artists it is hard to keep up with unless you’re a diehard fan. He is always working on a new project, whether that be solo, with a band, or as a collaborative project with another musician. Yet, whatever you find yourself delving into is always going to be good, even if it isn’t what you might expect.
With Love Rudiments, fans should leave their expectations of short garage rock cuts or glam rock-inspired tracks – like those Segall has made before – at the door. There are no sludgy riffs, meditations on eggs, rock covers of 1970s-era soul songs, or guitar-laden psychedelia to be found here.
Rather, Segall presents us with four songs, each chronicling various aspects of a relationship, beginning with the first meeting between lovers and moving through excitement and eventual heartbreak. There is no singing here; each track is built around drums, the instrument that helped Segall fall in love with music in the first place.
The multi-instrumentalist has always shown his talents, but on Love Rudiments, Segall proves he can make a compelling record without wielding the instruments (including his voice) he is typically associated with. The drums are joined by instruments like vibraphone, which gives the album a mysterious and curious quality, enticing and hypnotising listeners with every note.
There is also timpani and xylophone which adds extra texture and emotion. Segall highlights the power of working with one main kind of instrument – in this case percussion – and still evoking plenty of mesmerising melodies and rhythms.
Segall sets up the album by sandwiching the meatiest tracks – both 12 minutes – between shorter ones, such as the almost five-minute ‘First Look/ First Conversation/ Walk Home Pt. 1’ and the six-minute title track. There are infectious moments of pure intensity, which speed and slow to welcome more R&B-inspired grooves at times.
A wealth of influences are clearly at play here, and Segall presents them in a neatly wrapped bow. It’s a creative project that Segall clearly enjoyed making, and while there is a slight lack of variety, the musician seems to be welcoming us to tune in and get lost in the soundscape he creates.
For fans of: Digging through crates and crates of obscure krautrock albums in musty record shops.
A concluding comment from a long-haired psych-rock lover: “Where are the riffs, dude?”
Love Rudiments track-by-track:
Release Date: August 30th | Label: Drag City | Producer: Ty Segall
‘First Look/ First Conversation/ Walk Home Pt. 1’: There is both uncertainty and anticipation coursing through the veins of this piece, which instantly situates us in a world of instability, echoing with pure excitement. [3/5]
‘Getting Ready/ Arrival/ The Dance/ Walk Home Pt. II/ First Touch’: As Segall transitions through emotions, which he outlines in the song titles, certain moments stick out more than others. In this instance, the final section, where the ‘first touch’ happens, sounds like the sonic equivalent of hearts racing and bodies fidgeting. [3.5/5]
‘Honeymoon/ Life/ Confrontation/ Argument/ Separation/ Realization’: Beginning with chaos and eventually slowing into textured uncertainty, the song begins to mirror the breakdown of a once exciting relationship. There’s even something sci-fi-esque about the end of this one. [4/5]
‘Love Rudiments’: The closing track has a pensive and contemplative feel to it, with Segall puncturing this feeling with stabbing drum beats before bringing it back to a calmer pace. [3/5]
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