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I have to tell you, after Beck's last record Sea Change,
I had high hopes that we were moving into an era of new, calmer,
more songwriting oriented Beck. I am happy to announce that I've
been disappointed, and that is not at all the case. Once again
tilting his musicality to the left and right in rather haphazard
fashion, Beck has put together a record that instantly recalls
the glory days of the teenage anthemic O'Delay, while simultaneously
drawing listeners in closer for a good bit of frenzied inspection.
This new set of songs is at once old-school Latino influenced
like much of Beck's early works, yet more mature in sound and
creation. The gentle samba of "Missing" is certainly
evidence of the ever-enlarging musical conglomerate that exists
in Beck's head. Taking a different road than the aforementioned
Sea Change, Guero relies more on the big heavy beats
and street language that Beck has traditionally thrown at the
world. "Que Onda Guero" is a supreme example of the
kind of laid-back groove that has made converts of so many to
the church of Beck. Oddly tilting keyboard riffs dance over thick
beats and Mexican curse words that seep from the noise of the
street. "Girl" pushes the keyboards further into your
head, mixing in a bit of androgynous guitar with the crisp drums
and Beach Boys' harmonies. This is California music at
its new century finest, instantly recalling the cool, early mornings
of Southern Cali summers. More Beach Boys influence pops out on
"Earthquake Weather" and then gets quickly lost behind
the LA style breakbeats, scratching, and street rap of "Hell
Yes". And you can not argue with that bitchin' vocoder work,
either. Freakazoid Robots, anyone? The slow electronic melancholia
of "Broken Drum" paints a nice portrait of Beck as the
quiet kid who no one ever expected this sort of thing from…
It is a beautiful song, and one that is almost out of place on
Guero, seeming more a holdover from the brilliant lyricism
and folkishness of Sea Change. Grooviness prevails on the
near-disco beats of "Scarecrow" and the weirdly seismic
techno of "Emergency Exit". This album is pure musical
art, and not unwelcome - even to these very un-hip, tired old
ears. These songs scream good time music, lacking in so much of
the tension that much modern music fills itself with. Looking
for lemonade music for your hot summer day? This is it.
-L. Keane
Track Listing:
1. E-Pro
2. Que Onda Guero
3. Girl
4. Missing
5. Black Tambourine
6. Earthquake Weather
7. Hell Yes
8. Broken Drum
9. Scarecrow
10. Go It Alone
11. Farewell Ride
12. Rental Car
13. Emergency Exit
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