Friday, May 7, 2010

Beck - Sea Change



8.2/10


Beck really goes all over the place musically, doesn't he? I don't know about you, but of all the directions he's taken throughout his career, I was most surprised when he went the direction of downtrodden, lonely singer/songwriter. Perhaps not nearly as surprised, however, as when I discovered this is Beck at his best.
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The restraint really suits his voice and persona quite well. I could only halfway buy into him when he was dancing around singing about "Sexxx Laws," but here on Sea Change I can really feel he's in the zone.
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I'm really most impressed with the songwriting and overall use of various instruments, including a quite prominent string section. The strings add almost a theatrical-ish element without taking away from the intimate feelings of the songs.
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While the album is definitely more on the downside of things, it's not exactly depressing like, say, Elliott Smith is. Instead it's more slanted towards being apathetic, no better exemplified than by the third track, with the very straightforward title "Guess I'm Doing Fine." Because of the somewhat lighter feeling of reluctant acceptance, this album is more relaxing and even calming than other released by other artists along this same vein.
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Maybe another reason this album is relaxing is because Beck himself sounds a little worn out. He even states that he's "tired of fighting, tired of fighting for a lost cause." He sounds beaten and defeated. But somehow still, I find comfort in those words instead of worry or pain.
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Not only is Beck in top form musically on Sea Change, lyrically he's at his most poetic and profound. He certainly sets the tone on the opener "Golden Age" with "These days I barely get by, I don't even try." And on "End of the Day" he profoundly points out that "You owe nothing to the past but wasted time, to serve a sentence that was only in your mind." I worry sometimes how guilty I am of this, but at least I'm not alone. Many more lyrical gems are scattered throughout in every single track.
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Many times Beck evokes Nick Drake on this album. I know it's blasphemous to say this, but I really would put this on the same level as much of his work, save for maybe Pink Moon.

1 comment:

  1. It's funny. A lot of my college friends were way into this album when it came out and I didn't get it. I was still evolving from my allegiance to punk rock or nothing state of mind. Years passed and I got it from someone and put it on my iPod. I can't tell you how long it sat there begging for me to be ready for its greatness. Boy am I glad I grew up and realized how much other music there is out there, because you're right, this album is fantastic and easily his best. Easily.

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