Battlemouth

You don’t really need me to explain who Beck is. Chances are you’ve heard plenty of tracks from him over the many years he’s been recording. But let me ask you: who do you think Beck is? I usually ask myself this question about an artist before I write a review for their newest album, and with Beck I find it an interesting endeavor.

Beck does have a signature sound of heavy sampling and DJ beats. At heart I guess he really is a DJ turned MC. At least that used to be the case. His most recognizable LPs, Guero and Odelay, are white-boy rap albums with pop singles and unique style. Each song on both of those albums yearns to be a dance hit, if only to find a place in some dark hipster dive.

I would say his two best works are Sea Change and the Hell Yes Remix EP. Both pieces stand in stark contrast of each other; the former is a heart-wrenching break-up album that sits like a modern day Blood on the Tracks, and the latter was a sneak-peak at the new pop of the decade, remixed with a Gameboy to confuse and delight the next generation. Guero turned out to be a great success, and overall it didn’t disappoint many. It’s follow up The Information didn’t either. Where does this new album Modern Guilt fit in?

Well this brings me to that question I asked you earlier in the column which I’ll ask again in a slightly different way: Who is Beck to you and what do you expect from him? I feel your consideration may impact your reaction to it.

Modern guilt sits easily beneath Sea Change in relevance in theme and execution, yet it lies above Guero in the same categories and overall staying power. It sits far left of Odelay, and in front of other classic albums like Mutations. I know this sounds like a fairly positive reaction but when I first listened to it I hated it.

I have a firm belief backed by a bit of evidence that Beck’s Sea Change and overall career focus was not most directly influenced by his break-up with his long time girl, but by his work with the Flaming Lips on tour for that album. Ancestors of The Soft Bulletin’s melodic David Fridmann sound weave in and out of a majority of the tracks on Modern Guilt.

Should Beck be faulted for this? I mean it is a different path than one might see from Odelay and Guero… I thought about this for awhile and I’ve concluded that it’s impossible to. While usually hearing distinct melodies from other bands on a new album from an artist whose bulk of work little compares to this new album, might typically put me off completely, I can’t help but feel like Beck is one of few people capable of pulling it off and owning it properly. It fits like a glove into my own perception of Beck and I think it should fit into that of anyone who considers it.

The only problem I see with the album is that coming off pop party albums like Guero and The Information, there’s little here that could present itself as a solid single. The industry has of course been moving away from this in recent years and there’s something to be said of an adherence to a theme, still it’s a factor I consider in its review.

Thus my conclusion is that, Beck’s Modern Guilt may not be remembered 100 years from now as his most digestible or inspired work, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a solid work that deserves you ear or that it’s a fringe piece of an artist’s body of work. I sincerely think it’s worth the price of admission 10 times over and you need to do yourself a favor and accept that Beck is one of the most important artists of our time, and that this album exemplifies that.