Album: Beck, Modern Guilt (XL)
All grown up, and still going strong
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Everyone's favourite Scientologist boy genius is all grown up. Twelve years after his definitive album ('Odelay'), Beck Hansen is pushing 40, married and with two kids in tow. No wonder he's feeling a bit tired of life. There's an air of melancholy to Beck's eighth studio album – his first for XL – from the title right down to his weary, muffled vocals. ("I feel uptight when I walk in the city/I feel so cold when I'm at home," goes the fidgety title track.) Gone is the life-affirming humour and magpie genre-hopping of his early work, replaced by a more mature sensibility and a Sixties pop vibe that always sounds bang up to date, thanks to Brian 'Danger Mouse' Burton's production skills. Standouts include the propulsive bass of "Gamma Ray", the scratchy Squarepusher-esque "Replica" and the done-with-it-all balladry of "Volcano". "Chemtrails" joins My Bloody Valentine to Pink Floyd in a dreamy psych-rock marriage, while heavy percussion keeps it firmly grounded. (Cat Power provided backing vocals, but I can barely hear her.) At 30 minutes long, 'Modern Guilt' is a short and sweet treat. Not a patch on his first few albums, of course, but genius does have a tendency to go off the boil. Luckily for us, Beck is still hanging in there.
Pick of the Album: Just like honey: 'Chemtrails' is a psych-rock dream
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments