Review: Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread

By Adrienne Deeble

“Will you marry me? You can be my wife/ I have lots of money, you can settle for me,” Ty Segall pleads on “California Commercial”, a parody of both the state’s vapid reputation and the god-awful tourism board’s advertisements. The song exemplifies both his expertise in making heavy stoner ditties and the sarcastic sense of humour that has been so integral to Segall’s rise as a full-on psych-garage savage. Goodbye Bread, his latest effort, is a departure from the party records we’ve come to expect from the frat rock revivalist.  This time around, Segall focuses less on Thee Mighty Caesers’ brand of garage punk and more on lyrical potency- from awkward romancing on “Fine” to empathetic disillusionment on “I Am with You”. The title track shows where this trade-off falls short and feels sleepy in comparison to his other works.  Diehard fans will not be remiss though.  On “My Head Explodes”, Segall’s nightmarish instability rises above his pop sensibilities. The thread of drone and dissonance running through Goodbye Bread keeps this come-down album from sinking into a Beatles abyss, ultimately staying true to Ty Segall’s San Fran psychedelia roots. Goodbye Bread is out now on Drag City.

Ty Segall - California Commercial