Few artists are as prolific as Beck Hansen and even fewer have a discography spanning two decades.
Few artists are as prolific as Beck Hansen and even fewer have a discography spanning two decades. Over the years Beck has experimented with a multitude styles ranging from folk, rock, funk, country hip-hop and electronic music. It’s interesting just to hear how Beck’s changes styles so effortlessly from album to album. On Beck’s latest full length record Morning Phase, we see him return to his down tempo acoustic style he had success with on 2002’s Sea Change.
Its been two years since Beck’s last full-length LP, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been busy. He’s collaborated with Philip Glass, produced for other artists, released a handful of singles, and even worked on music in an orchestral setting. In addition to that he’s also suffered a few injuries. One of which being a black widow bite. He told NPR “I was in the hospital, and my arm was all swollen up.” To top it off he also sustained a back injury that prevented him from performing.
Between albums Modern Guilt (2008) and now Morning Phase everything Beck was releasing pointed towards a more electronic, experimental sound. Just before the announcement of this new release Beck dropped two 15 minute long singles; “Defriended” and “I wont’ be long.” Both of these tracks had a very ambient psychedelic atmosphere with “Defriended” sounding somewhat reminiscent of Animal Collective. Beck even dabbled in different mediums for his music, contributing songs to indie game Sound Shapes and his 20 page song book called Song Reader.
With that being said, it was almost a shock to hear Beck return to his refined acoustic style on Morning Phase. Even Modern Guilt was fairly lo-fi and experimental. Maybe Beck just felt the need to return to his Sea Change roots on this record. Whatever the reason for Beck’s stylistic choices, Morning Phase has got to be Beck’s most polished work to date but has this increase in production changed what makes Beck so interesting?
Gone are the glitchy beats and rough cuts; Morning Phase is stripped back to pianos and strings with minimal percussion. Anyone who has listened to Sea Change will be familiar with the side of Beck present here. The songs are mostly down tempo, clean strum patterns and like Sea Change, this is not a particularly cheerful record. This is very sobering music.
The Rolling Stone writes, “At its core, Morning Phase is a record about what to do when the world seems totally fucked. Irony doesn’t cut it anymore; truth, beauty and resolve are the best weapons.”
But you’ve got to wonder why he’s so down and out about being married with kids.
Morning Phase shows a mature Beck. The songs are much more contrived than what Beck fans might be used to. Tracks are less of a collage of samples and more of a painting. Beck replaces his stream of conscious lyrics for more poetic lines.
On the track “Blue Moon” Beck sings “I’m so tired of being alone / These penitent walls are all I’ve known / The song bird calling across the water / Outside my silent asylum.” “Blue Moon” has contrast in the way the lyrics are rather solemn but the atmosphere is radiant and breezy.
This placid atmosphere is carried throughout the entire album. At its core Morning Phase is a folk-rock/acoustic record but there’s also an element of ambiance. Part of this might be due to Beck’s choice of echo-y reverb on the vocals. It’s a nice effect that really fills up the spaces in the music and makes the tracks feel huge despite the minimal instrumentation. It helps the album have this light and weightless aura surrounding it.
Another important element to Morning Phase are the orchestral string arrangements. Beck is no stranger to using string arrangements and this record is full of lush string embellishments. The track “Wave” is almost entirely composed of string swells that give it this gigantic cinematic feel that’s also very dark and mysterious. Another standout track might be “Unforgiven” with its oscillating piano chords. Every sound on Morning Phase is crystal clear with plenty of room to resonate and “Unforgiven” is a great example.
As with any Beck release, there are some standout tracks but all together this album is not as immediately infectious as say, Guero. Morning Phase is a slow burner and it takes a while for the songs to really catch on. Morning Phase also suffers the same song syndrome that plagued Sea Change. From the chord progressions to vocal melodies, much of what’s on Morning Phase sounds the same. Hell, one of the opening tracks “Morning” sounds like it could’ve come straight off of Sea Change. Despite all of the monotony, Morning Phase is still very beautiful record and this singer/songwriter side of Beck is much more consistent than the younger more eccentric Beck.
Paste magazine writes “It is a beautiful record, and maybe a little over-simplified at its weakest moments, straddling that line between clean and bare.” Enjoyment of Morning Phase really depends on which form of Beck you prefer. This album will definitely satisfy those fans of Beck’s softer side. You can stream the full album at NPR via first listen.
Best tracks: Blue Moon, Wave, Blackbird Chain, Unforgiven, Don’t let it Go
