The Breakdown
Ty Segall’s Possession is a technicolor journey through the underbelly of modern America—psychedelic, melodic, and bursting with invention. His 16th album is one of his most sonically adventurous yet, moving effortlessly from gentle acoustic brushwork to brass-fueled psych-pop blowouts, stitched together with Segall’s uniquely off-kilter charm. It’s an album that invites you in with sweet melodies and familiar textures, only to veer off into strange and wonderful territory at a moment’s notice.
Following 2024’s Three Bells, Possession finds Segall in exploratory mode again, but this time with a keener eye on storytelling. Collaborating lyrically with filmmaker Matt Yoka, Segall frames this record as something literary—a meandering yet focused take on American life, folklore, and fantasy. There’s a sense of narrative continuity and intent here that elevates the album beyond mere psych-pop nostalgia. It’s Segall embracing a bigger canvas, one that includes not just distorted guitars and harmony vocals, but also strings, horns, and piano-led arrangements.
From the get-go, Shoplifter sets the tone—its alt-indie warmth guided by acoustic strums and falsetto harmonies, before abruptly pivoting into a brass-laced passage that ends with a quasi-barbershop coda. Tracks like Possession and Shining double down on melodic twists and psych textures, complete with fuzzed-out guitars, spiraling choruses, and lush arrangements that evoke mid-period Beatles or even Smile-era Beach Boys. Fantastic Tomb, the lead single, opens like a blues-rock burner, but quickly bends back into Segall’s comfort zone—an unsteady but captivating psych groove, made rich with saxophones and Mikal Cronin’s instrumental finesse.
The lyrical content often mirrors the music’s unpredictability. Working with Yoka allows for more abstract and image-driven language—like American noir filtered through a kaleidoscope. Buildings feels weighed down by its bass-heavy rhythm section but sings with hope in its swelling chorus. Skirts of Heaven and The Big Day mix Segall’s pop instincts with bluesy drag, always folding unexpected textures—be it strings, organ, or brass—into otherwise classic rock structures. The Lennon-like vocal delivery on Hotel pairs perfectly with the song’s rhythmic pulse and string flourishes, creating a ghostly kind of grandeur.
Possession may be one of Ty Segall’s most melodically satisfying records to date. It’s full of character and contrast—heavy and light, sweet and strange. From the organ-led psych of Another California Song x pp to the jittery momentum of Alive, every track pushes forward with restless creativity. At this point in his career, Segall could easily coast—but instead, he reinvents, retools, and rewires, all while keeping his ear tuned to melody. Possession isn’t just another Ty Segall record—it’s one of his best.
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