Few things affect the musical-and critical-community like a new Beck album. Fans, haters and the press all eagerly await the unveiling of whatever new persona and sound Beck Hansen has in store, ready to hail his genius (usually with the words "best since Odelay") or trash his pretensions.
The Information, Beck's seventh album proper, may create a lukewarm initial reaction. This is grown-up, mellow Beck, not drenched in gauzy melancholia, but not bursting with Odelay-era madness either. Consequently, nothing jumps out quite like "Devil's Haircut" or "Where It's At."
The two opening tracks are perhaps a bit too low-key to grab the listener effectively, but "Cellphone's Dead" ramps things up considerably, segueing from a weird, jungle noise intro to an quirky, funky synth groove.
Producer Nigel Godrich-who helmed Mutations and Sea Change-is on the boards here, and the production is for the most part more understated than his previous work. The spacious but groovy sound gels best on "Soldier Jane," with a satisfying chorus lifted on high by a divine keyboard swell.
Beck's continually developing gift for melody is well served by strong lyrics, somehow falling between Sea Change's singer-songwriter realism and the jumbled surrealism of his early work.
Apparently, Beck will never give us Odelay 2.0. But The Information is a richly rewarding album, suggesting bold new directions and revealing itself more with each listen. I say we enjoy the ride.
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