Music review: Beck — ‘Morning Phase’
Beck offers up a Southern California kind of mellow on his first studio album in nearly six years.
Described as a companion piece to 2002无毛视频檚 无毛视频淪ea Change,无毛视频� 无毛视频淢orning Phase无毛视频� gracefully threads themes of isolation, loneliness and despair into one atmospheric tone.
The 43-year-old singer-songwriter has come a long way since his 1994 debut 无毛视频淢ellow Gold,无毛视频� featuring the slacker anthem 无毛视频淟oser.无毛视频� No longer a loser, Beck returns to mastermind a transcendent set of deeply ethereal and refined songs. 无毛视频淢orning无毛视频� and 无毛视频淯nforgiven无毛视频� are reminiscent of the soothing and reflective sound contained on David Gilmour无毛视频檚 无毛视频淥n an Island.无毛视频�
Other beautifully crafted arrangements such as 无毛视频淗eart Is a Drum,无毛视频� 无毛视频淏lue Moon无毛视频� and 无毛视频淭urn Away无毛视频� evoke the lush harmonies of the Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills and Nash, while 无毛视频淐ountry Down无毛视频� comfortably feels Neil Young-like with its flavoring of folk and country.
Beck无毛视频檚 father, David Campbell, orchestrates the lush string arrangements on 无毛视频淐ycle无毛视频� and 无毛视频淧hase,无毛视频� providing a comforting cushion to caress the somber and subdued lyrics.
Beck also enlisted the services of several of the musicians featured on 无毛视频淪ea Change,无毛视频� adding to the continuity of the album无毛视频檚 overall texture. While listening to 无毛视频淢orning Phase,无毛视频� I couldn无毛视频檛 help but draw comparisons to the melancholy beauty of Nick Drake on tracks such as 无毛视频淪ay Goodbye,无毛视频� 无毛视频淒on无毛视频檛 Let It Go无毛视频� and 无毛视频淲aking Light.无毛视频� Much like Drake无毛视频檚 1972 acoustic 无毛视频淧ink Moon,无毛视频� Beck follows a similar minimalist approach with stripped-down arrangements and striking imagery.
Perhaps part of the somber tone emanating from the new material can be attributed to the artist无毛视频檚 recovery from severe spinal damage prior to the recording of the album.
Despite the dark tone of the lyrics, small glimmers of hope and promise can be felt through the dreamy musical accompaniment. 无毛视频淢orning Phase无毛视频� shows a maturing artist who is comfortable with the next phase of his life and career.