TY SEGALL
First Taste
(Drag City)
First Taste opens with “Taste,” offering choral melodies reminiscent of Yes and psychedelic fuzz from all angles. It’s urgent and raucous, repeating a line that hints at the album’s theme: “Our salivating makes it all taste worse.” Ty Segall turns inward here—amidst his familiar levity he shares reflection, rumination, and self-examination. The whole album is a trip—soundscapes expand with horns, koto, bouzouki, mandolin (shining most notably on “The Arms”), multiple drum kits (with deft solos on “The Fall”), and more. The refrain on “When I Met My Parents (Part 3)” is an apt summation of what you should do and how you will feel taking in this body of work: “Close your eyes/Everything it’s just dreaming.” (5/5)
By Carlee McManus
First Taste was released August 2, 2019. This article originally appeared in the September/October 2019 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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