Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 28
  2. Negative: 0 out of 28
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  1. Aug 27, 2014
    91
    It’s all at once contemporary enough to thrive in a market that demands constant innovation, yet nostalgic enough to shepherd the spirit of a bygone era on which the genre is founded.
  2. Aug 27, 2014
    90
    Manipulator stands as Segall’s most intricately woven and patiently developed work.
  3. Magnet
    Aug 18, 2014
    85
    It's a beautiful behemoth. [No. 112, p.56]
  4. Aug 26, 2014
    83
    It’s like the hangover lifted. He’s finally able to remove his sunglasses and nod to the light of true pop accessibility.
  5. Aug 26, 2014
    83
    His most inclusive, expansive album to date, it coaxes textures and touches territories he’s been inching toward for many a moon. And he brings it together in a crowd-pleasing package.
  6. Sep 5, 2014
    80
    Manipulator affording him space to rise above his obvious points of reference and create the one thing no one envisioned for album number seven: Ty Segall as both uncompromised AND accessible artist. The complete package.
  7. Q Magazine
    Aug 29, 2014
    80
    One of the albums of the year to date. [Oct 2014, p.118]
  8. Aug 28, 2014
    80
    Manipulator represents a defining statement from a musician that should enjoy a long, healthy career to come.
  9. Aug 27, 2014
    80
    Everything is sharp and lucid and full of impact.
  10. Aug 26, 2014
    80
    Ultimately, this is an astonishingly consistent album, particularly given Segall's work rate.
  11. 80
    Despite being Segall's longest, packing 17 tracks into just under an hour, it’s also his most focused.
  12. Aug 26, 2014
    80
    It's an unlikely meeting of sprawling, ADD-boosted agility and surgical, in-the-moment focus.
  13. Aug 25, 2014
    80
    This is a smash-up-the-house, get drunk, pull faces kind of record. And most probably his best.
  14. Aug 25, 2014
    80
    Prior to this album, Segall was most notable for his music's exciting collision of manic energy and technical skill. Here he retains those basics while demonstrating a keener focus on song construction and mechanics, the work of an artist who's still intent on tearing things up, but possesses a newly lucid understanding of how to shape interesting music out of the remnants.
  15. Aug 25, 2014
    80
    Manipulator is a reminder that Ty Segall knows his rock & roll, but he knows a lot more than just that, and this '70s-inspired madness results in one of Segall's best and most pleasurable efforts to date.
  16. Aug 22, 2014
    80
    Picking favourites out of Segall’s catalogue is purely a matter of taste but Manipulator settles right in with his finest work, and will serve as an excellent entry point for newcomers to the weird world of Ty Segall.
  17. Mojo
    Aug 20, 2014
    80
    The album has a clear, organic sound. [Sep 2014, p.90]
  18. Aug 20, 2014
    80
    Best of all, the songs are almost uniformly fantastic, and extraordinarily well sequenced.
  19. Alternative Press
    Aug 18, 2014
    80
    At 17 songs, Manipulator is a psychedelic handful of kaleidoscopic visions for the post-Kurt Cobain world. [Sep 2014, p.110]
  20. Uncut
    Aug 18, 2014
    80
    No song here exceeds the five-minute mark, and each one feels finely honed, melodically generous, and designed to penetrate your consciousness. [Sep 2014, p.66]
  21. Aug 26, 2014
    78
    The ample generosity of Manipulator highlights the cruel paradox of showbiz: When you give the people everything they want, you can’t leave them wanting more.
  22. 75
    There’s an unforeseen clarity in his compositions and vocals.
  23. Aug 27, 2014
    75
    It's pleasing to discover that, even when taking his time, Ty Segall is still able to deliver the magic of spontaneity and urgency that was scorched across his previous albums.
  24. 75
    What makes Manipulator one of Segall’s strongest releases to date is less to do with the energy he brings to proceedings, though, and more about just how evident his keenness to experiment is, from start to finish.
  25. Aug 28, 2014
    70
    No matter how we may sometimes pin him down to that face-melting guitar guy, Segall keeps putting out records that complicate that idea of him, and this is the latest satisfying wrinkle.
  26. 70
    With 17 tracks stretching over 57 minutes, perhaps some judicious editing could have trimmed the excess, but this remains a major step forward for Segall and a logical extension of a direction he was already headed in.
  27. Aug 26, 2014
    60
    There are 17 songs here, and after a while, they feel short on basic songwriting surprises: Built on narrow foundations, high on crude intuition, they keep running into walls.
  28. Aug 26, 2014
    60
    Does Segall's songwriting break new ground? Not really--but Manipulator is rarely boring even so, and always exceedingly likable.
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 38 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 38
  2. Negative: 2 out of 38
  1. Sep 8, 2014
    8
    I can't believe that no one has submitted a review for this album yet! Segall may be a prolific album maker but quantity and quality don'tI can't believe that no one has submitted a review for this album yet! Segall may be a prolific album maker but quantity and quality don't always go together and some of his previous offerings have been a bit patchy IMHO. Manipulator on the other hand is a joy to listen to pretty much from start to finish. It could have benefited from being a bit shorter, but overall his best album yet by far. Full Review »
  2. Sep 23, 2014
    8
    This is an absolutely fantastic album, and an album is what it is. From start to finish each track links and builds to produce a fantastic allThis is an absolutely fantastic album, and an album is what it is. From start to finish each track links and builds to produce a fantastic all round listen. I put this on my MP3 and went for a cycle in the woods and the music just fitted ace with the fast paced downhill sections on such a lovely mid September sunny afternoon in Scotland, a rare event.

    I really recommend, encourage anyone to listen to this, Excellent.
    Full Review »
  3. Aug 16, 2015
    8
    Manipulator is an exciting, fresh, modern take on the garage rock sound. It also represents a significant step forward in production forManipulator is an exciting, fresh, modern take on the garage rock sound. It also represents a significant step forward in production for Segall and co. 8.4/10 Full Review »