Music Review:Emotion, maturity mark latest Change in Beck's apporac

Published: Thursday, September 26, 2002

If Beck were to create his own brand of gluten-free, soy-based ice cream, undoubtedly the flavor portfolio would consist of Dictionary Blender Sherbert, Almond Neolo-gelatti-ism, and Vanilla Folk Explosion.

The latter flavor acts on the taste buds much like Beck's new album, Sea Change, affects the inner workings of the ear — simple, untainted and classic.

Since his birth into the music scene, Beck has been covered with an almost inpenetrable musical placenta. Repeatedly awing audiences with his effusive unconventionality, Beck is a respected and mysterious voice of musical pop-culture.

Beck's daunting voice, a porous tenor stone, is scratchy, at times unclear and yet almost maternal and soothing. Sea Change, Beck's eighth album, is a collection of lullabies for contemporary dreamers. Beck's compositions are a chorus of Dali-picturesque lyricism and non-sequitirs without concern for pragmatism.

Beck is a true original type and with Sea Change he has probably created the best independent sounding rock album of the year.

Most notably, Beck is famous for being a boundary-bending genre monger. This can be attributed to his album Odelay, the album that produced more hits for Beck than any of his others. Like the George Clinton meets the Brady Bunch sentimentalism of Midnight Vultures, Odelay is a stylistic and overproduced endeavor, flawed yet not undeserving of praise.

However, it would seem as though Beck is taking a personality hiatus.

Rather than exploring every existing musical dimension on Sea Changes, Beck focuses his energy in creating a soundtrack for midnight railyard campfires and Sunday afternoon rides in abused, late '70s pick-up trucks. Beck has resigned as the elected spokesman for the Experimental Pop-Music treehouse. For this album he has rediscovered the charm of traditional country music and delicate psychedelia.

Beck is at his best on four track recordings with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and Sea Change is only electronic in the loosest sense of the word.

If anything, Sea Change is the antithesis of progressive music. It is the doppelganger of Midnight Vultures. While Sea Change is a sycophant's tribute to artists like Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan — maybe even Hank Williams — as far as American folk music goes, it's also a display of insight and personal growth for Beck.

The lyrics and music are both remarkably pure, crisp and cogent. Beck seems to be against excess, elusive title tracks and obscurity. He has returned to the basics.

Beck's candor is illustrated through the perfection of the minimalist approach achieved on songs like "Nobody's Fault but My Own" on Mutations in 1998 or "Blackhole" on Mellow Gold in 1993.

While he has been known to splurge with musical samples, electronic chaos, and danceable stream of consciousness, on Sea Change Beck unleashes pure, unadulterated rural charm with subtle hints of psychedelic, monotone trance-like states and East Indian string arrangements.

Sea Change is worthy of being offered as a substitute for ambrosia. Its dark, mellow, haunting and uncomplicated framework make it Beck's most mature album to date and arguably his best. Emotions run high while listening to the intense, melodramatic, songs like "Lost Cause," "Little One" and "Round the Bend."

Each songs resonates relaxation and almost dream-like states. Deeply emotional, Sea Change is to Beck what Magical Mystery Tour was to the Beatles — an opportunity to be born again.

To not appreciate this album is to not appreciate sleeping nor waking life.