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Jul 11, 2012 Web Exclusive By J. Pace

On Slaughterhouse, San Francisco garage wunderkind Ty Segall steps into the studio with his touring band—Mikal Cronin, Charlie Moothart, and Emily Rose Epstein—with the fuzz pedals set to stun. (As opposed to stepping into the studio with White Fence for an earlier 2012 full-length, or for the upcoming solo release later this year, or…)

This is a distortion-drenched, hyped-up, and at times downright heavy version of what Segall’s been serving up with alarming prolificacy: no-frills garage rock with a wealth of early Pink Floyd-isms (“Death”), Nuggets compilation anachronisms (“The Tongue”), and giddy rockabilly flavored ruckuses (“Diddy Wah Diddy”).

There are a few absolute gems here: the dueling-guitar burner “I Bought My Eyes,” the ludicrously catchy spaz-pop of “Mary Ann,” and the down-tempo, proto-metal-styled (yes!) “Wave Goodbye.” Even the throwaway tracks help assemble what feels like a full-throttle live performance that’s loads of fun. The climax? A 10-minute noise session aptly titled “Fuzz War.” Keep fighting the good fight, Segall soldiers. (www.ty-segall.com)

Author rating: 7/10