Beck
"Sea Change"
(DGC)

The musical chameleon known as Beck makes his boldest, bravest statement to
date with "Sea Change", his latest offering of folk and country
tinged tunes. On "Sea Change", Beck has emerged from behind the rhyming
non-sequitirs and beat-influenced one-liners that compose his previous work
to confront his relationship demons in a brutally straightforward manner.
"Sea Change" allows us to glimpse at Beck's soul for the first time since
"One Foot in the Grave", though this time we can see much more of it.

The album kicks off with the glockenspiel-sprinkled tearjerker "The Golden
Age". Among some gorgeous pedal steel and the echoey "Mutations"-styled
production (courtesy again of Mr. Nigel Godrich) Beck once again proves
that he is the master of irony, declaring the beginning of a "golden age"
although his heart has clearly been ripped to shreds and melancholy drowns
his voice. The beauty of this is that although Beck has chosen to be direct,
he has not left his gift for irony with the Sports Ilustrated moms and the
Hollywood Freaks.

The tempo picks up with "Paper Tiger", which has obvious nods to Serge
Gainsbourg's "Histoire de Melody Nelson" record with its lush, dynamic
string arrangements courtesy of Beck's father, David Campbell. Guitars
shriek and weave their way between a funked-up bassline and Beck's voice
creating a hypnotic yet powerful mood.

Nowhere on the record is the timelessness of Beck's songwriting more
apparent though than on the folk-inspired "Lost Cause". This song alone is
worth the price of the record for its carefully orchestrated arpeggios and
"Rushmore Soundtrack"-like quality. It makes a beautiful, delicate
centerpiece to this most lyrically challenging of Beck's work.

While "Sea Change" may not be as musically diverse as what we have come to
expect from Beck's prior work, it definitely marks a dramatic departure from
the witty wordisms and image-based songwriting that he become known for. In
that way, it may be the most adventurous record he has ever made.

-Karthik