'Sea Change'

"Student Body Shots"

'Sea Change' proves an artistic epiphany for Beck

By Chris Hammonds
Assistant Editor

Sometime after 1999's "Midnite Vultures," Beck's life must have run into some problems.

"Sea Change," Beck's latest album, is far from what most people would expect from the once crypto-pop, indie-rock couch hopper turned eccentric, pseudo-psychedelic rock star.

This album is filled with the kinds of songs that are easily accessible from the first listen, but still they grow on the listener. The vocal hooks get under the skin, but never become annoying.

Strikingly subdued, Beck's vocal performance on "Sea Change" seems to owe a lot to artists like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. The songs are folky, more focused and less dynamic, usually opting to use acoustics over the manic sampling and genre-hopping prevalent in past releases.

The album would perhaps be just as comfortable sandwiched between Bob Dylan and Neil Young albums as it would between "Mellow Gold" and "Odelay."

Instant standout tracks are "Golden Age" and "Already Dead," but the whole album is cohesive, and it never feels like there are any extra pieces thrown in for quantity breaking up the flow. The subtleties of each track become engrained in the listener over time.

Beck never ceases to defy the expectations of his critics. In the pseudo-mainstream rock world, Beck's worth is immeasurable. With "Sea Change," he makes a complete 180-degree turn away from the realm of artistic gratuity and dives headfirst into the beautifully bleak.