Sea Change

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Reflecting on the collapse of an almost decade-long relationship, Beck Hansen’s eighth studio album often draws comparisons to Bob Dylan’s classic 1975 breakup record <i>Blood on the Tracks</i>. The parallels certainly hold up, especially with Hansen’s voice hanging at a notably lower register than on 1998’s similarly mellow <i>Mutations</i>, and the mercurial performer setting aside his sample-based busy-ness to bask in spaciou, elaborate ballads alongside a masterful backing band. His father, David Campbell, even arranged the dynamic and often dramatic string. Another key collaborator here is producer/mixer Nigel Godrich, who helmed <i>Mutations</i> and the bulk of Radiohead’s catalog. Godrich is responsible for the incredible depth of space that makes this introspective material feel even more profoundly personal. That’s not to say the record is a downer: herein lies some of the most moving songwriting of Hansen’s career. “Lost Cause” is gorgeous despite its resigned refrain (“Baby, you’re a lost cause”), and the strings inject chamber-pop grandeur into his open-hearted vulnerability on “Lonesome Tear.” The album’s confiding air extends to the Nick Drake-esque “Round the Bend” and “It’s All In Your Mind,” a lush reimagining of a lo-fi 1995 B-side. While the scratchy slide guitar of “Little One” does hark back to Beck’s earlier day, “Sunday Sun” gently swells with more unusual instrumental bedfellows (including bamboo sax, multiple banjo, and Wurlitzer). Most of all, these songs feel timeless in a way that’s new for the perpetually evolving entertainer. Not the only tune to mention the past by name, “Paper Tiger” combines a spry rhythm section and close-looming strings to evoke “Ain’t No Sunshine”-era Bill Wither. There and elsewhere, Beck’s vocals and lyrics are strikingly understated—especially compared to his past forays into rapping and falsetto. On a similar note, it’s telling that his harmonica part on “Guess I’m Doing Fine” is a subtle parting gesture rather than the usual scene-stealing flourish. Multi-instrumentalists Smokey Hormel, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, and Joey Waronker fluidly change course as each song require, and Godrich himself lends some keys and percussion. .

via Apple Music

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