Hookworms : Interview

Hookworms are a five piece based in Leeds who are poised to release 'Pearl Mystics' in just over a weeks time.  This debut full length follows two singles on Gringo Records where the clan offer up nine tracks of foggy psychedelia that give a nod to Sun Araw and Spacemen 3.  I got to catch up with them about 'Pearl Mystics' and a few other things too...

(Also watch out for Hookworm's track 'The Correspondent' on forthcoming psych compilation 'Psych For Sore Eyes' on Sonic Cathedral)

Let’s start with your upcoming debut album on Gringo, how did you come to work with the label?

MB: Matt who runs the label released our last 2 records which both turned out great and sold out, so when it came to who should put the LP out it was a pretty easy decision. Matt has released some of our favourite UK records of the last 15 years (Bilge Pump, Wolves of Greece, Ox Scapula, That Fucking Tank etc), and is continuing to release amazing records by our friends like Cold Pumas, Sauna Youth, Broken Arm, Grey Hairs and Vision Fortune.

You guys recorded and produced it in MJ’s Suburban Home studio, what was the setup?


MB: We practice at Suburban Home as well, so it was a case of recording demos of tracks as we wrote them, then listening back and changing bits here and there until we were happy with the basic structures of the songs. There are some pretty mammoth demo versions of some of the tracks. I think we clocked a 20 minute version of Away/Towards in its earliest incarnation. We spent a weekend laying down the bass and drums for the whole record at the end of 2011, and then the rest of the overdubs were done sporadically over a 6 month period in the first half of 2012, whenever there was free time at the studio. A lot of the mixing was done in the middle of the night when no one was around, and we’d often wait for the cake factory workers adjacent to the studio to finish work so we could re-amp tracks down the huge corridor outside, which we used as a make-shift reverb chamber. MJ can probably go into more technical depth, if that’s what you meant.

I wanted to run through the tracks and see if you could tell us a little about each one:

“Away / Towards”
MB: In my head this track is split into 3 different sections. There’s the atmospheric build up at the start, the organ-driven motorik in the middle, and our attempt at a VU/Modern Lovers pop song at the end.

MJ: Lyrically this song is split in two (signified by the duel names). It's a reflection on loss and the way we can chase something that doesn't exist anymore or how we can push ourselves away in denial.

“Form And Function”
MB: This is the oldest song on the album; we had previously recorded a different version of it for a split 7” with Kogumaza. I much prefer this take on it though, it’s a bit more up-tempo, and we actually wrote an intro for this one. The old recording just kind of faded in because we didn’t really know how to start it. I’m a big fan of SS’s guitar playing at the end of this track.

MJ: Big fan of the kick sound on this track.

“I”
MJ: I can't remember how I did this, sorry. Probably with loads of pedals at three in the morning.

“In Our Time”
MB: I came up with the main bass line that repeats throughout the song, and MJ wrote the organ chord progression that makes up the “verses”, and we glued the two sections together. There is a definite Pure X influence on this song, we’re collectively big fans of their LP “Pleasure”. JW recorded layers and layers of guitar feedback in different keys, and MJ stacked them all up to create this wonderful wall of noise, almost like a guitar symphony, which drones throughout the entire song. Our friend Jack from the band Mazes dubbed this song and What We Talk About “drone-soul”, which I thought was great. The call and response backing vocals at the end of the song are one of my favourite parts of the album.

MJ: Yeah, I recorded JW feed backing in different notes and then pieces them together into chords. I actually wrote the 'song' for this for my Family Scraps solo project, but it worked so well with the bass line MB brought that we used it for this instead.



“Since We Had Changed”
MB: Possibly the song I’m proudest of on the album. It started off as quick acoustic jam we knocked together for a live BBC session, but we thought we’d try it out for the album and see how it went. At one point I think we were heavily leaning towards scrapping it completely, but then we re-amped sections of it down the corridor outside the studio that I mentioned before, and the reverb completely brought it to life. That was a total “woah” moment for everyone in the studio, it really changed the song. We’ll probably never be able to play it live, there’s a load of stuff on there like acoustic 12-string through tape delay, sitar, backwards plucked piano etc.

MJ: I hated this until that day we re-amped everything. Now it's my favourite part of the record. I was dreaming of Tower Recordings.

“Preservation”
MB: This is the second oldest song on the record. We’d been playing this live for quite a while before we started the album, so it was pretty straightforward to record. We tried a few different things out like some Stooges-y claps to accentuate the weirdo “I Want Candy” drum beat, but we decided against it. We managed to squeeze in some John Cale-style piano being hammered in the background ala “I’m Waiting For the Man”/”I Wanna Be Your Dog” though.

“ii”
MJ: The oscillating sound on this section is something (can't remember what) being run into a spring reverb over and over and over until it was un-recognisable. I recorded rain in a puddle for this. Probably a low moment.

“What We Talk About”
MB: We were originally talking about trying to get some gospel singers on this for the backing vocal part, but we thought it might be a bit over the top. MJ layered up his own little one-man choir anyway, and it sounds great. Our friend Andy Moore played some trumpet at the end of the track to give it a Stones-y gospel/soul vibe.

MJ: Me and MB recorded most of this song as a demo one afternoon. Pretty sure we kept everything from that session except the vocals and bass take.

“iii”
MJ: I wrote and recorded this one night with two amps pulsing in stereo in the live room. I sat between them and played most of this live with a couple of synths and a monotron.

The artwork looks awesome, where did the image come from?

MB: JW “found” and doctored it with a scanner, as well as changing the colour to the “pearl mystic” shade of turquoise that gave the album it’s name. I’m half expecting us to get sued by whoever took the photograph once the album is released.

What are some of your favourite album covers?

MB: I like a lot of 60’s record sleeves with the bands posing on the front, but only because I know we could never be cool enough to pull something like that off in a million years. Stuff like the first Stooges record, the first Creedence record, Back in the USA, and that Count Five album where they’re all stood round the edge of a grave.

MJ: hate to be a cliche, but pretty much anything by Raymond Pettibon is up my street.

Do you guys prefer playing or recording?

MB: Probably recording, I don’t think there’s a feeling in the world like when a record starts to come together. It’s a different kind of rush when you’re playing a fun show.

MJ: Recording. It's my favourite thing in the world.

What’s been the most fun you’ve had playing a show so far?

MB: I always have loads of fun playing in Brighton; everyone is really friendly. We did a couple of shows for our friend Andy Auld who used to run Sex is Disgusting that stand out in my head. One supporting The Men at the Prince Albert, which was one of the first times we’d played some of the new songs off the new album live, and one at the Green Door Store which I think was the last ever Sex is Disgusting show. A strobe light was turned on halfway through the first song which we weren’t expecting. I don’t think I’ve ever played a set with a strobe light in my face for the entire thing, you start seeing things. I have no idea how bands like Vision Fortune do it for every show they play, I spent the whole time worrying it was going to trigger a fit, which probably gave the whole thing an edge.

MJ: I enjoyed Liverpool Psych Fest. We played the main stage at midnight straight after Dead Skeletons. I was genuinely surprised when people stayed for our set.

Most memorable show you’ve watched?

MB: Probably Pissed Jeans in the upstairs room of The Fenton in Leeds a few years back. I don’t think anyone’s feet were touching the floor.

MJ: Yep, Pissed Jeans at The Fenton, The Wrens at The Rescue Rooms in Nottingham or the first time I saw Mob Rules do that really long track off their LP.

How would you spend your perfect day off?

MB: Listening to records, reading a book, nice walk in the countryside and a couple of ales.

MJ: Even on my days off from my job as a recording engineer I go to my studio. There's nothing else I'd rather be doing.

What else is coming up for Hookworms in 2013?

MB: We’re doing a few shows in February running up to the album launch in Leeds on February 23rd, and then there’s going to be a proper “album tour” in April. We have a few other releases in the pipeline already too. There should be a 7” for the Too Pure singles club out in May, and hopefully a vinyl re-release of the Live Vol.2 CD/DVD which came out last year. There weren’t many copies of that because the sleeves were all handmade, so it’d be nice for everyone to be able hear and see it. There’s some other stuff too, but I don’t want to jinx them just yet.

I tend to finish interviews by asking - "I'm full of dust and guitars" - Syd Barret, if you were sliced in half what would be inside? But for you guys maybe the clue is in the name?

MB: Bitterness and Mexican food.

MJ: Saudade.

Hookworms Links : Gringo Records  Facebook  Psyche For Sore Eyes (Sonic Cathedral comp) Twitter

Exhaustion 'Future Eaters' : Interview

Exhaustion are Australian three piece Duncan Blachford (Snawklor, Cross Brothers),  Jensen Tjhung (Deaf Wish, Lower Plenty) and Per Bystrom (Ooga Boogas, Leather Towel).  Their debut 'Future Eaters' on Aarght! just started streaming last week on Mess+Noise and is fast becoming a favourite in this parts.  These eight new songs play out prowling guitars, howling vocals, crashing rhythms and gulping bass transmitted through a wall of murky fuzz and distortion.   It all comes together in a way that brings bands like Les Rallizes Denudes and Fuckin' Flyin' Aheads to mind whilst testing the limits of where that paranoid/brooding free-noise sound can go.  I got to talk to Duncan to find out more about the record, here's what he had to say...

Most of us are just finding out about Exhaustion now through this record out on Aarght!  Being a relatively new band, I wanted to ask if there’s a goal/message in this project that you wanted to tell us about…

If I had a goal it would be to destroy, or attain peace with, the world and the mundane nature of a working life. As a band, our goal is to create music we're proud of. We're happy with this record, we can retire now.

When I was goo­­gling to learn a bit more about the band I only found 2 search results for Exhaustion… it’s a great name, surprised no one’s ever really used it – how was it picked?

It was very literal, a feeling of pure exhaustion. Typographically, I like it, when its treated right its monumental. Exhaustion and détournement, that's all that is left in this world.

How did recruiting Jensen Tihung and Per Bystrom for the band come about?

I met Jensen when he working in a dive bar. He's one of the few people who ordered everything I put out on my label, Endless Melt. So he seemed the natural go-to guy. He'd never played bass before, I hadn't played much guitar. A good pairing.

Per heard some of my early solo recordings (Drunk Hands) and offered to drum if I wanted to start a band. It didn’t happen till now. He carts round all this scrap metal with his kit, a one man swedish Pussy Galore.

 

You did a tour of the US in 2008 was this as Exhaustion?  How did those shows go?

That was another band I played drums in. At the time, it was four friends and an asshole soundguy, on the road for nine weeks. Played most nights, driving around North America, crashing on couches and in cheap motels. It was fantastic. I felt at home being on the move.

I was listening to one of your other bands Snawklor – the songs I heard sounded pretty ethereal, did you ever think you’d start a band like Exhaustion that was the polar opposite with this big damaged-rock sound?

Nathan Gray and Dylan Martorell started Snawklor a decade ago, doing extremely quiet electroacoustic music. They’re both great artists and improvisers, their art and music bleed into each other. I joined more recreantly on drums and my background is definitely in damaged rock, but I've always been drawn to more exploratory music too. I'd started fooling round with freeform percussion, no beats, I brought that approach to Snawklor. We have done a lot of shows but no proper recording as a trio. Sometimes we sound closer to Lightning Bolt or the Boredoms, sometimes ethereal free jazz and psychic exotica. 

To my ears at least I can hear bits of Les Rallizes Denudes, Liquorball and Fuckin’ Flyin’ Aheads on ‘Future Eaters’, because in one way or another they all have this mesmerizing/paranoid/noisy approach – do you listen to those bands at all?

Funny you mention Fuckin’ Flyin’ Aheads, Per introduced me to them when we started playing. He'd heard traces of it too. I've never listened to Liquorball but I'm a huge fan of Les Rallizes Denudes. Mizutani is THE guitar anti hero.

What was the first type of music that made an impression on you?

Hendrix and Black Sabbath. Hendrix especially. When I was about six, I saw Sex Pistols on TV one night and it scared the shit out of me. In my teens I was watching The Year That Punk Broke with no knowledge of that unmentionable youth cultural revolution of the '90s. Seeing Sonic Youth play Schizophrenia hit a chord, I grew up around a lot of schizophrenic activity, it was great seeing that captured in music.

Do you prefer playing or recording?

You gotta be playing when you're recording, so I prefer playing.

What was the setup for the recording of ‘Future Eaters’?

An 8-track reel to reel of Jensen's. Six mics. Three on the drums, one on the bass, and one on the guitar. Vocals later. Very rough and ready set up, but Jensen has a way. Did it at his place, above a psychologist’s practice. It was a renegade recording in that we thought we might get away with a 7” before neighbours shut us down. We managed to come out with this record. Almost all first takes, it was a super easy all firing session. Done. Bang.

Can you talk about “Your Memory Don’t Want You”, that one’s been one of my favs since streaming the record….

I recorded a demo of it years ago as Drunk Hands, a noisy instrumental version played on a fuzzed out acoustic. I brought it back to the fold with Exhaustion. Most of these songs relate to very personal experiences, put across in a broader way. Its about black outs, memory and our relationships with consciousness.

Over here in the UK music chain HMV just went into administration, now record buying is online or via indie shops that have managed to survive…I was wondering what the current state of record stores is in Australia?

Sounds very similar to what is happening here. It’s shrinking all the time, with a few notable exceptions. Only a few stores are lucky and smart enough to keep afloat. Small record stores that sell coffee and awesome food are probably the way to go, here's looking at you Wooly Bully

You have your own label Endless Melt – I was wondering what you’ve found to be the biggest challenge with running a label these days?

It’s a micro label of marginal music, a labour of love. It often costs me money to sell something. Luckily I don't do much business or I'd have to shut it down.

How do you manage to sustain being in bands and doing a label?

I work. I spent a long time on the dole living the dream of a rock n roll youth, but everything is so expensive now and the dole hasn’t really increased. I have a family now too. It'd be very hard to get by without a job.

How would you spend your ideal day off?

I would do nothing at all.  Ideally, I would do everything I wanted to do. 

Your new album is coming out imminently – what else do you have planned for 2013?

Jensen has an artist residency in Sydney for a few months come late March. Hopefully we'll do a show up there. We're all a bit older now,  touring isn’t a priority, more a holiday. We all have several bands, jobs, Per and me have families. We'll roll with the punches. I predict we'll have a new album recorded by the end of the year, release it by early next year, and a 7" in between. Put a fiver on it. 

A question I always finish on “I’m full of dust and guitars” – Syd Barrett, if you were sliced in half what would be inside?

Blood, guts and the ghosts of a million forgotten lives.

'Future Eaters' is limited 250 copies - available at Goner

Tyvek 'On Triple Beams'

Tyvek have been turning heads since their first album in 2007 'Fast Metabolism' (What's Your Rupture).  After a few lineup changes and a load of releases, the Detroit outfit continue to prove to be at the forefront of punk today.  'On Triple Beams' is their fourth album, second for In The Red, that sees Tyvek tightening things up whilst staying rough around the edges.  This new album captures what many already know about the band, that they focus on frustrations rooted in the humdrum of daily life.   Tyvek share a fondness of turning the banal upside down with muses Wire and Wipers, whilst bringing something fresh and radical to the table.  The record kicks off with "Scaling" featuring Kevin's signature tannoy system effect vocals - chewy guitars, stomping bass and ramshackle rhythms all forging regulated chaos where Tyvek are as carefree as they are careful.  It's this state of being on edge and strung out that denotes their raucous approach, wonderfully shown on the ballistic "Little Richard".  My other favourite track is "Efficiency", taking a swipe at the tedium of every day life with grinding guitars and one repetitive beat against a backdrop of discordant noise accompanied by Kevin's monotoned holler, "Efficiency is boring...".  After spending a lot of time with the Tyvek back catalogue this album reveals, to me at least, how the band continue to go from strength to strength.  'On Triple Beams' is another great record for the Tyvek cannon - really worth your time.

Tyvek Facebook

UV Race 'Racism'

UV Race are a six piece from Australia who have a slew releases out on some pretty great labels like Almost Ready, Aarght! Records and S-S to name a few.  Their last album 'Homo' was one of my favourite releases of 2011 so it's the height of downplay to say that I was looking forward to their follow up 'Racism'.  These ten new songs offer up, to my ears at least, some psych and pop ideas by a group who sound as though they could haven been punk fans in their formative years.  Recorded and mastered by Mikey Young this is the band's second album for the always great In The Red Records.

"Life Park" sounds off, "Left my kids, and my wife, I was working 9-5, I was working just to survive", with deadpan vocals, metronomic beats accompanied by roaming bass sounding as quotidian as it comes.  It's this sense of ennui that best describes 'Racism'.  Also shown on "Nuclear Family", a cacophonous track made up of angular, scorching guitars mono-toned vocals and deadened beats - all qualities you might expect to find from a post-punk song.  Favourite track is closer "Memenonome", an otherworldly number featuring eventide guitars and bass alongside chanting vocals and deranged trumpet sounds.

For me this album is made up of opposites - there's abrasiveness put next to saccharine, downhearted lyrics put to upbeat music and crassness juxtaposed with sensitivity (check out "Sophie Says" vs "I'm A Pig" to see what I mean!).  'Racism' challenges the mundane whilst carrying forward the sound of punk today making music a more exciting place to escape the daily grind.

UV Race Facebook Website

Ex-Cult 'Ex-Cult'

Ex-Cult are a group who formed in 2011.  Based in Memphis the five piece deliver crooked, grinding guitars, swarming fuzz, bold beats, bubbling bass and fiery vocals.  Some may know the band previously as Sex Cult from their first two singles however, the group were forced to change their name by a New York techno label and Ex-Cult was born.  This self titled debut (Goner Records) converges Indie, Pop, Hardcore and Psychedelia to forge a sound that brings new blood to the fleet of newer generation punk bands like Hex Dispensers and OBN III's.  Recorded in Eric Bauer's studio in Chinatown San Fransisco and produced by Ty Segall, the band offer up twelve songs that combine elements of Wire, Urinals and X (Australia).  The album rips open with "Knives on Both Sides" featuring strutting, jagged guitars, spat out vocals alongside layers of muddy reverb and fuzz.   "M.P.D" allows guitars to freely roam with spooked solos playing out this paranoid, anxiety driven sound which continues to thread through the record, further shown on "On Film".  Fav song right now is "Shot the Beehive", but it seems to change on every listen as this album is exactly what I want Punk Rock records nowadays to sound like.  Ex-Cult have totally hit the nail on the head and made a fireball of feelgood gutter Punk.  Another solid release from Goner - did you expect anything less?

You can find copies here

Fawn Spots : Interview

Fawn Spots are an English band who formed in York a few years ago.  The group are a three piece featuring two guitarists and a drummer.  Throughout some line up changes Fawn Spots have released three EPs on Tie Dye Records, Louder Than War (Southern) and Bad Paintings.  The four song EPs are a warts and all snap shot of what Fawn Spots were achieving at that particular time.  These recordings succinctly capture how their sound has evolved over the last two years, and this new split shows Fawn Spots tightening the screws for their most polished work to date. 

Out next month is Fawn Spots' new split record with Cumstain called 'Wedding Dress', released as an LP on Bad Paintings in the UK and a cassette through Burger Records in America.  These four new songs offer up the raw, ballistic approach you'd expect from Dischord and SST bands mixed with the melodic finesse of early Buzzcocks. "Tailor Made" sets the pace for Fawn Spots' side of the record with its savage take on 80s college rock sounds played out by charged, fuzzy guitars and pummeling beats.  It's this mode of complete frenzy that fittingly describes Fawn Spots style, aptly shown on next track "Watered Down".  Highlight for me is "National Anthem" and you can find out more about the track in the band's own words below as I got a chance to catch up with Fawn Spots before their US tour...

Fawn Spots! You have a new line up – let’s get a run down of who you are and what you all do…

OG: Hi I’m Ollie and I play the guitar.

JM: I’m Jonathan. I play guitar and sing. Sean plays drums.

Have any of you been in or are currently in any other bands?

  

OG: Have I? Yeah I been in a few bands before, I also sometimes play solo. Sean is in a band called Beware Wolf.

JM: I don’t do anything else.

What was the first type of music that made an impression on you?

OG: Well I think the very first time music had a profound effect on me was when I heard Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game. I was in the car on the way home from school and it made me cry. I still really like the song and I would say its pretty fundamental in some of things I do.

JM: The first ‘proper’ record I got was Rage Against the Machine – some older guys on my school bus persuaded me to buy it. After getting over Korn pretty quickly I spent a couple of years obsessed with Smashing Pumpkins so I guess that’s where music started for me.

When did you have that ‘ I can do that moment’ and start playing?

OG: having been brought up surrounded by musical instruments it’s just something I think I have had all my life. In terms of this though, I had that moment when Jon asked me to play,

JM: When I started working full time. I’ve played a bit for a few years, but when I started working I  really needed to do something else.

Did you have a goal in mind when you started Fawn Spots of what you wanted to get out of playing in a band?

JM: I can’t say I had a definite goal, there was no 5 year plan or anything, but I wanted to see how far I could get trying to play shows in good places and maybe eventually release a record. There’s lots of short term goals that change all the time – shows and places we want to play and sounds we want to get - but it’s all toward the same end.

    

Burger Records are doing a cassette version of your new split release with Cumstain 'Wedding Dress' – how did this all come about?

JM: Mike (who I run Bad Paintings with) and I have been massive fans of Burger Records releases for ages. I checked out Cumstain’s record with the Crass style front cover when we played there last year – it’s amazing and they were a natural choice to ask if they wanted to do a split. When we were sorting out our show at Burger this year we dropped them the record and they were in to doing a cassette.

“National Anthem” really stands out on your side of the record, can you tell me a bit about the song?

JM: I don’t think we really know how we want to sound, so I like including tracks on records that don’t directly fit – they’re a break to a record and when we play live. National Anthem was derived from some other little riff I had, and really came to life when we got both guitars working on it – we play most of the same parts all the way through but hopefully the two or three different tones in there hold it together. It was fun to record, we got to mess about with samples and stuff like that – I think this is the only song on the record where there’s other samples on it.

‘Wedding Dress’ is also coming out on Bad Paintings in Europe – Jon, as part of the label I was wondering how you’re finding releasing records in the UK? 

JM: The first couple of 7”s we put out were The Babies and Xiu Xiu so we actually sold more records overseas initially. It was great to put something out by JOEY FOURR (Joe from Tubelord) at the end of last year– he’s one of my favourite UK artists at the moment. It’s been a steep learning curve but we’ve learnt lots and every time we release something we do a little better. There’s a great network of small labels releasing stuff in the UK now, and Tye Die Tapes from Sheffield are a constant source of support and inspiration. We are rubbish at our accounts.

You’re from York where ‘Wrong Side Of The River’ is based and am I right in saying you guys are involved in this collective?  Can you tell us a bit about it?

JM: WSOTR started, and hopefully ended, as a collective project that aimed at being inclusive and open. It was in this unused basement of an art gallery. It was all ages, BYOB and always cheap to get into. We managed to put on some great bands from all over the place, including my favourites Sex Hands and The Babies. People seemed to like the setup and vibe so it was busy even if it was a band people hadn’t really heard off. Unfortunately it’s dead now – we were totally squeezed by the building owners who thought they could turn it into a money making thing, as well as a council who aren’t really pro anything creative and all ages that’s actually interesting. Our last show was with Iceage and it was crazy – Elias fell over the monitor and all sorts of stuff happened.

You’re about to go over to the states and do some shows with Cum Stain – any particular places/shows you’re really looking forward to?

OG: I cant wait to play the Smell -  thats the one I have heard the most about, however I have never been to LA before so I am just really looking forward to being there to be honest.

JM: Burger probably. Lots of beer and records and stuff. Although I’m really excited to check out places in LA I’ve not seen before and  see friends I met last year. There’s a guitar shop called Truetone in Santa Monica that has the best guitar I’ve ever played in it, and Amoeba has an insane collection of records.

Do you prefer playing or recording?

OG: Definitely playing; especially when its a good show, it just puts me on a high. Recording can be fun and it’s really useful for really honing the performance and sound but I get more satisfaction from a crowd than laying down a good recording

JM: I like both. I think they’re designed to go together, and I like each for different reasons. It’s fun to play to get out there and thrash about, but recording means you focus on your sound and your tone. I love writing with a view to playing live, but the end of writing seems like recording if that makes any sense at all.

What else can we expect from Fawn Spots this year?

OG: Hopefully a lot more shows, touring and ideally a full album am I right?

JM: You’re not wrong!

"I'm full of dust and guitars" - Syd Barrett, if you were sliced in half what would be inside?

OG: Probably a huge tapeworm.

JM: The shredded tatters of my dignity.

JM & OG: Sean's full of shit.

'Wedding Dress' is out February 18th on 12" pink vinyl in the UK, cassette in the US and as a download

Fawn Spots Tumblr
Cumstain Tumblr

Ty Segall 'Twins'

Ty Segall knocks another one out of the park with his latest album that came out at the tail end of last year, 'Twins' on Drag City. Albums leading up to this, 'Melted' and 'Goodbye Bread', had a ballad focus adding a new dimension to the garage rock approach Segall has become so well known for. Not only that, but moved the goal posts as to what garage rock can achieve. Just as we were immersed in these strung-out, sun-drenched numbers on Record Store Day 2012 Segall released an album with White Fence which saw the return of his hair-raising rock roots. 'Twins' picks up where this record leaves off and sure, Ty Segall has released a garage rock record before, but what sets him apart from his peers is he always keeping things innovative and exuberant.

"Thank God For The Sinners" and "Inside Your Heart" shows the sludgy, ballad-centric songs are fresh in mind as they ooze with sizzling guitars and that laid-back nature indicative of west-coasters. This doesn't last long though as Segall kicks things up a gear with manic numbers like "You're The Doctor". Highlight for me though is "Would You Be My Love", it just hits all the pop, rock, garage pleasure centres and gives on every listen - one of my favourite Segall songs period. 'Twins' offers head scratcher moments too by closing on folk track "Gold On The Shore" featuring layers acoustic guitar, vocals and bass.  There's not many artists around where you can say two albums and some four singles in a year doesn't seem like enough - can't wait to see what Segall has up his sleeve for 2013. 

UK copies here 

US copies here