Ty Segall: Ty Rex

Charlie Isaac reviews the re-issue of Ty Segall's T-Rex cover album.

NUSU
14th December 2015

Prolific lo-fi garage rocker Ty Segall has always demonstrated a wide range of influences. The ingeniously titled Ty Rex is anything but an exception, being a cover album entirely of T Rex songs. Essentially a reissue of two previous record day exclusive EPs, Ty Rex sees Ty Segall’s signature fuzz-laden style applied to an assortment of T-Rex tunes, resulting in a surprisingly effective combination.

Make no mistake, this is not simply a tribute album of T-Rex hits. Ty includes a large variety of songs, generally avoiding the well-known and digging up some hidden gems in the process. This includes the opener ‘First Heart Mighty Dawn Dart’, combining Ty’s predisposition towards unconventional chord progressions with an impressive use of falsetto.

Ty embraces T-Rex’s early psychedelic roots with his cover of ‘Element Child’, majorly cranking up the distortion yet maintaining the trippy vibes of the original

Nor are we presented with carbon copies of the originals; the iconic ‘20th Century Boy’ is sped up into garage-rock madness, incorporating Ty’s typically distorted vocals and the addition of a wild guitar solo. Similarly, Ty embraces T-Rex’s early psychedelic roots with his cover of ‘Element Child’, majorly cranking up the distortion yet maintaining the trippy vibes of the original.

Strangely enough, a notable deviation from Ty’s previous releases is in the consistency of Ty Rex’s production, maintaining a lo-fi, distorted sound largely throughout. This is perhaps where the album falters most; Ty Rex simply lacks the huge variety of instruments, sounds and textures which made his previous albums, such as 2010’s Melted and 2011’s Goodbye Bread, so unique.

Among Ty Segall’s lengthy discography, Ty Rex doesn’t stand out as one of his best, but is undoubtedly an excellent effort, serving as an interesting listen for both Ty Segall and T Rex fans alike.       

Charlie Isaac

3.5/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8_FV3JoBc4

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