Beck continues to be a prolific recording artist.
While I’d suppose that many casual Beck fans imagine that he glided off into the musical horizon around the time that the two turntables and affiliated microphone powered down, he’s continued to churn out incredible albums over multiple decades.
For example, post-Odelay (#24 of the best 1,000 albums ever) in 1996, Beck continued to innovate and dazzle on albums ranging from the funked-out experimentalism of Midnite Vultures (#278) to the haunting melancholy beauty of Sea Change (#259).
And I was wildly impressed by the bright and optimistic Colors (#112)from 2017, an album I still throw on frequently.
I found Beck’s Hyperspace album from 2019 slightly disappointing, but only from the standpoint that I’ve been vastly satisfied with almost everything he’s produced going all the way back to the early ‘90s.
In revisiting Hyperspace while writing this piece, I’ll mostly stick with my opinion. It’s kind of spacey and less tethered and hook-driven than I’d personally like.
“Die Waiting” is the rare Beck track where he shows his age… just a bit. It’s polished and professional as hell of course… it’s just not all that compelling.
“Saw Lightning,” for example, is an unusual mix of blues and EDM influences. I’d call it more interesting experiment than banger for my money.
Over the past decade, Beck has excelled across quite a number of released singles.
Let’s start with some of the really fun collaborations. “Find My Way” is credited to the one and only Paul McCartney, with a “featured” credit going to Beck. It feels much more Beck-y than McCartney-esque, but most importantly it’s a surprisingly slinky and even funky number, with a laid-back lounge groove that very much works.
And in 2019, Beck collaborated with Cage the Elephant on the trance-y yet propulsive “Night Running.” This is a really pleasing one that I can throw on a loop while working.
I’m a big fan of Beck getting together with Hinds on “Boom Boom Back,” which has “song of the summer” vibes.
And then Beck has also taken to occasionally cutting intriguing covers. For example, I highly recommend the Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man” (produced for the Spotify original series, Music Happens Here), which is super fun, swinging, and groovy.
His take on Neil Young’s “Old Man” is more straightforward and faithful, but it has a fresh and earnest flavor that earns a listen if you’re a fan of either artist.
Which brings us to the very recently released “Ride Lonesome,” which for my money is his most impressive effort since Colors. We’re deep into the mode Beck found in both Sea Change and Morning Phase, and it rivals the best songs across those albums – lushly produced singer-songwriter vibes that hits deeply on an emotional level.
What’s most exciting is that “Ride Lonesome” is a new single from an album of the same name, which will be released on September 18th via Capitol Records.
Well over thirty years into a genre-shattering and truly unique career, Beck is still delivering.