Beck is the kind of singer/songwriter/man-boy that is much too easy to fall in love with. The moment that I first heard Mellow Gold (1993) I was hooked. The video for Loser just served to further intensify my feelings for the uber-talented Los Angeles native.
He is really unlike anything or anybody else. Beck dabbles in every kind of music from psychedelia, lounge, pop, folk, hip-hop, and rock. He blends these many influences into album after album of ridiculously appealing material. Of course, it’s not the kind of music that will be enjoyed by all listeners. He’s got a number of independent releases, but it’s on 1996s Odelay that everything really first came together. It’s impossible not to love Devil’s Haircut, The New Pollution or Where It’s At. With that said, the other ten tracks are equally worthwhile.
1998’s Mutations gave the world some trippier (and musically inspired) selections. Cold Brians, Tropicalia and Nobody’s Fault But My Own are masterpieces in their own right. The album isn’t perfect, but again sheds some much needed light on to this strange man. Midnite Vultures (1999) got the worst reviews thus far of Beck’s decade-long career. This isn’t saying much though. The album also gave me one of my favorite songs…Debra and another that is undeniably exciting--Sex Laws.
And so we arrive at 2002. Beck once again morphs into a different type of artist on the eagerly anticipated release Sea Change. Rather than sounding kooky and upbeat in a unique way, Beck turns to his inward singer-songwriter self and churns out twelve melancholic, unpredictable songs. It’s a change for sure, but a change for the better thus enlightening people who otherwise would think Beck for a free-form novelty act thanks to mainstream hit songs like the aforementioned Loser and Where It’s At.
Sea Change isn’t an obvious masterpiece. It is however vastly better than the majority of music today and thus a most necessary addition to most every music collection (especially one already populated by Beck). The album kicks off with The Golden Age, a lowly wistful acoustic guitar driven song. I can’t help but appreciate the bare-bones approach he’s taken to making music. It makes Beck feel real, true, intelligent, and emotional. These four elements never quite came together so perfectly on any of his past albums. In this case, and in the case of the first song, they meld seamlessly. The words, as always with Beck, are of nearly equal importance to the music:
Put your hands on the wheel
Let the golden age begin
Let the window down
Feel the moonlight on your skin
Let the desert wind
Cool your aching head
Let the weight of the world
Drift away instead
And so the album goes. Reminiscent of British Psychedelia (even with the occasional Pink Floyd-ian feel) listeners are next given Paper Tiger, an uneasy epic marked most notably by an orchestra. But instead of overwhelming the gently winding story, the strings enhance Beck’s voice and vision. The song drifts on a breeze throughout varied verses. It’s a folk song at it’s core, yet with Beck at the helm it’s something much, much more important and thought-provoking.
The second half of the album is actually stranger and a bit less accessible than the first. The album wraps up with folk-rock track Side of the Road. A return to the Beck of the first half, the song winds around the dark, unhappy folk roads that the talented singer-songwriter has only just begun to explore on a wide scale. Again, the words echo:
On a borrowed dime
In different light
You might see what
The other side looks like
The depression apparent in both the words and tone of many of these songs is almost refreshing. Almost Dead, Nothing I Haven’t Seen, Lonesome Tears, and Lost Cause all are straightforward songs representing depression, pain, and helplessness. Obviously, something rather unhappy has happened to Beck. I guess if nothing else, these experiences have given him reason to write and to be inspired.
The final track worthy of mention is Round The Bend. Languid guitars, a cello, and Beck’s voice are the three most prominent features to this relaxed, yet highly emotional track. As a whole, Sea Change is an important album. For me, it’s a five star album. But for fans that have yet to grasp the multiple layers and proficiencies of this talented man it may not be the most easily digestible album. It’s not Odelay by a long shot…rather than layered electronic elements, these are layers of acoustic and orchestral elements. Sea Change is a new Beck (really not far removed from Mutations actually).
I highly recommend Sea Change. It’s a very good album, great if you ask me. But, I can see how some people may not get much out of it. In addition to the music, watch out for the four different cover art. I’m sure that rabid fans of Beck will buy one of each for their collections.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. The Golden Age
02. Paper Tiger
03. Guess I’m Doin’ Fine
04. Lonesome Tears
05. Lost Cause
06. Nothing I Haven’t Seen
07. All in Your Mind
08. Round the Bend
09. Already Dead
10. Sunday Sun
11. Little One
12. Side of the Road
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