Beck - Modern Guilt

Since entering the nation’s consciousness more than a decade ago with his super-hit “Loser,” Beck has built up a gloriously diverse resume. Following Mellow Gold (the album that birthed that first hit), his styles have veered sharply from the junkyard pop of Odelay to the sexed-up raves of Midnite Vultures to the heartsick lament of Sea Change. The man has been notoriously difficult to pin down, changing styles so often it’s become an inextricable part of his musical identity.

For the past several years, however, it seemed Beck was in a rut. His last two albums – Guero and The Information – were largely soulless rehashes of his past work. While they each had their moments, the reinvention that once characterized Beck’s work appeared to have fallen by the wayside.

Thankfully, Modern Guilt finds Beck getting back on track as he sheds his skin yet another time. This time around, he’s tried his hand at 1960s psychedelia, and in the process, written his first meaningful musical departure since the 2002 Sea Change.

To helm the production of his latest opus, Beck has called upon DJ Danger Mouse. Danger Mouse is an inspired choice. Between his day job in the soulful Gnarls Barkley and those infamous Jay-Z/Beatles mash-ups, it’s clear that Mouse is firmly rooted in the 1960s aesthetic. His knob-switching lends an authentically retro vibe to the project – with its dry production and psychedelic instrumentation, Modern Guilt practically begs to be played on vinyl.

Despite Danger Mouse’s influence, however, the album is Beck’s baby. Press releases indicate that Beck spent extraordinary hours in the studio while recording Modern Guilt, and his perfectionist devotion to the album shines through here. When Beck initially began writing material for Modern Guilt, he intended for the album to be an exercise in brevity with 10 2-minute songs. While this idea was eventually abandoned, Beck’s focus on minute detail is still evident – each of the songs here is intricate and concise, packing a greater punch for its succinctness.

Ironically then, the best song on Modern Guilt is its longest – advance single “Chemtrails” serves as the album’s thrilling peak (not to mention one of the greatest songs of Beck’s career). Beck’s lilting vocal melody hovers over echoing piano notes and a nimble bass line as he sings ominously of airborne chemicals and a sea full of drowning people. The song’s lethargic pace is undercut by guest Joey Waronker’s ferocious drum work – a surprisingly effective contrast that highlights the menace behind Beck’s lyrics, otherwise obscured by his weary delivery. “Chemtrails” makes full use of its nearly 5-minute runtime, slowly building up tension and then releasing it with an exhilarating false ending.


Beck performs "Chemtrails" live in Amsterdam; 7/1/08
Of course, there are several other fantastic songs to be found on Modern Guilt. Consider the old-school rave-up of “Gamma Ray”, the Spoon-esque groove of the title track and the soul-crushing closer “Volcano” – each is a masterful execution of Beck’s latest genre experiment (and a ton of fun to boot).

The album isn’t quite perfect — the middle section drags a bit, and the bass frequency is uncomfortably high in the mix – but all in all, it’s a great return to form from California’s musical chameleon. Even if Modern Guilt doesn’t quite recapture the ramshackle brilliance of Beck’s seminal work, it’s still one of his most consistently satisfying albums to date. Perhaps most importantly, it’ll get listeners excited about guessing his next direction again.

Originally written for the Cavalier Daily:
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/news/2008/aug/23/becks-latest-effort-is-a-guiltless-pleasure/