Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

The prolific king of noise is at it again. Freedom’s Goblin was released a year after Ty’s self titled magnum opus from 2017. That album earned the top spot of TwangriLa’s best albums of 2017. I don’t know when Ty gets any rest because he is constantly touring and creating music. The argument of quality vs quantity does not apply here. There is absolutely no loss of quality even though Ty is releasing albums at a breakneck pace.

Ty is a master in the studio, almost a mad scientist. He can twist those knobs and push those buttons wisely. Some people can get carried away with all the turning, pushing, and pulling. But not Ty. Every push and turn has a purpose, to take the music to heights never before witnessed. As previously stated, Segall can take harsh sounds and noise not typically associated with music and create a beautiful work of art. And the creation of a song that begs for rewind. 

If you were fans of the last album, you will definitely enjoy Freedom’s Goblin. The songs are quite different than the self titled entry of a year ago. Ty’s creativity is still at a high, which is reflected in his music. The final product is  groundbreaking and extremely listenable. It’s ear candy. Who can make songs that teeter between hard rock and disco? Ty can, that’s who. And a fella named Beck.

The album starts off strong with what is my favorite song, Fanny Dog (Track 1). The opening bars are pure fresh, funky flavors and they really get the listener engaged and entranced.When I listened to the words, I quickly realized that this song was written about his family dog, and that is brilliant. It is written extremely intelligently and that coupled with the lovely harmonies and horns makes this song a perpetual repeater. Feast your ears on that guitar solo at just over two minutes in. 

Let’s do bookends. I started with the first song on the album and I am going to follow up with the last one. And, Goodnight (Track 19) is a 12 minute face bender up there with the likes of Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd. Lofty company indeed, but this song is so worthy. This song was made to be played under the influence of something. That could be just under the influence of love. It doesn’t have to be a mind altering substance, your choice. Make sure you have 12 minutes because once you commit, it is hard to stop midstream. 

Unconventional pop hooks are the name of the game with Ty. He can do this better than almost anyone, save Beck. Any Beck fan will enjoy Every 1’s A Winner (Track 3). Let me expand that comment, everyone will enjoy Every 1’s A Winner. This is a pop song disguised as a hard rock ditty. The guitars are loud and crunchy, but they are tempered by Ty’s voice flirting with the high notes. He is channeling his inner Prince on this one. 

Freedom’s Goblin is 74 minutes of pure bliss. It will take take you to the dark corners of the earth and also some territory that has been well explored. Regardless of where you are on the album, you can be a believer. Ty will not let us down when it comes to making high quality, envelope-pushing music. In Ty we trust. 

Listen to Freedom’s Goblin

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