Beck's past few albums have been successful experiments in delving into other sounds, but with his latest, Guero, Beck has returned to what we've all secretly been wanting from him: deliciously inconsistent goofballery. Yes, Guero harks back to his Odelay days, but that doesn't mean he's copied nor matched his 1996 masterpiece. All it means is that this album has Beck bringing back the quirky style of rock-rap-folk-whatever that we all love.

That quirkiness takes shape earlier on in the form of Que Onda Guero. This funky little ditty has Beck rapping odd lyrics that switch between English and Spanish. The chorus is catchy, the beat is fun, and the sounds of a Hispanic neighborhood create a lighthearted atmosphere. The rapped style reemerges in Hell Yes. This one is still very fun but less for goofiness and more for the enthralling beat and Beck's smooth chorus delivery with a touch of a robotic sound mixed in nicely. This is a great one to blast in the car and let your goofy white-boy-ness shine.

Guero's amount of upbeat rock is a welcome shift after the excellent but downtrodden Sea Change. It starts rocking right away with first single E-Pro, a guitar driven track with infectiously groovy lyrical delivery. Black Tambourine is somewhat quiet, but it keeps the pace up nicely, as does Scarecrow. Farewell Ride is slow, but it's very dark and heavy, creating a kind of industrial-country sound. The electro-country Girl evokes the Beach Boys with its sunshiny tune. This one is sure to keep Beck fans talking since it's hard to tell if he's saying "My southern girl," "My summer girl," or something else, and he purposely left that word off the lyric page. Grrr.

The bulk of Guero features songs that take a mix of past Beck sounds to create cool, laid-back, interesting tunes. Earthquake Water is one of the coolest with its easygoing beat and choppy but smooth chorus. But the coolest is Go It Alone, which will hook you instantly with its snaps, claps, na-na-na's, and do-do-do's. Even the more somber Broken Drum will hold your attention as Beck mixes electronic beats with other well-placed instrumentation.

While this album doesn't match the greatness of Odelay, it's sure to please those who have been looking for a return to that mid-'90s gem. Mixing a little bit of all of Beck's styles - including well-placed white-boy rap - Guero is a consistently enjoyable album that shows Beck to still be a major player in the game of rock.

Also from Beck:

Mellow Gold
Odelay
Midnite Vultures
Modern Guilt


Recommended: Yes