Possession

Ty Segall has a restless musical mind that makes him hard to pin down. Apart from his bread and butter amped up and unhinged garage punk, hes liable to pop up playing heavy metal, synth pop, folk/rock, or even make a record thats only percussion - 2024s Love Rudiments. Possession is something a little different than anything this sonic chameleon has done yet, even as it contains many elements of his core sound, like overdriven guitars and hearty vocals. The main thing that sets this record apart is a the river of steady confidence that runs through the music like iron bars. Segall and his band of collaborators dont rush things, they play with tightly wound restraint most of the time that makes it even more exciting when they burst out in lightning-bright flashes of noise. The record is built around a base of acoustic guitars strumming out the rhythm, electric guitars slashing across the bow, bass and drums providing a solid foundation, and Segall flying over the top with his best Bolan croon. If that doesnt sound very innovative, the first song "Shoplifter" quickly makes clear that there is something strange and wonderful happening. After the first verse, a full string section breaks over the top of the song like the sun overpowering a bank of clouds, followed by lush piano tinkling, richly stacked backing vocals, then some dueling saxophones. Its A plus chamber rock, mixed and arranged to near-perfection. Every song sports multiple hooks, whether they are the Bowie-esque horns on the title track, the strutting glam riffs of "Buildings", the slinky soft rock electric piano that makes "Fantastic Tomb" a treat, or the tricky interplay between strings, keys and guitars on "Hotel" that shows all the psychedelic pretenders what a headswirl really feels like. Segall uses strings on the album very interstingly; instead of smoothing things out, thaey give the music another level of shading that really makes the songs come to life. The lyrics are given a twist by the appearance of filmmaker and friend Matt Yoka, who collaborates with Segall on a set of poetic, slightly sinister songs that really capture the mood and meaning of life in America during the time the record was recorded. All the elements, and the skillful way they are slotted together, combine together to make Possession the kind of record that unveils new delights each time it spins. Segall has made records as big and bright as this, hes taken chances as dramatic, and rocked as excitingly; hes just never made one as assured and focused as this. It would be a lot to say that everything hes done up to this point was leading to this one particular album, but it also doesnt seem all that wrong either. Its definitely a milestone and a career highlight, as well as a release that anyone who likes real live, breathing and bleeding rock & roll should be glad exists. ~ Tim Sendra