BECK
Morning Phase
Capitol/EMI
We’d never accuse Beck of retreading old ground, with a back catalogue that reads like a magpie’s nest of inspired influences and rampant genre hopping, but on Morning Phase he revisits the melancholy soundscapes of his beloved heartbreak album, 2002’s Seachange.
Much has changed in the ensuing dozen years – not least of which includes a debilitating back injury that sidelined the musical adventurer for some time, and perhaps that’s the life changer this time around, rather than a broken heart.
Musically, Morning Phase is stunning. There’s a few moments when one wonders if the title is a play on words – is Beck mourning something? Or is this the sunrise to his newest dawn? He’s an enigmatic fellow, it’s unlikely we’ll ever know.
Using many of the same musos as he did for Seachange, the sound is very similar – folky introspection with strings and all the right production moves. Lyrically though, he remains elusive – hinting and winking at his true meanings, without ever laying the truth out for all to see.
Morning Phase is as enthralling as any Siren’s Song. It will draw you in and entrance you, with its mysteries only making the content more enticing.
SHANE PINNEGAR
