http://www.smithjournal.com.au/blogs/arts/beck-vinyl-giveawayBeck, Morning Phase (vinyl giveaway)
The ringing lap steel guitars, chiming percussion and desolate lonesomeness of Beck’s brilliant 2002 album Sea Change are all over Morning Phase, and it’s a welcome return.
Scrubbed clean of the irony and dime-a-dozen genre changes that marked his 25-year career, Beck wails a country-tinged lament to a life gone off the rails. Or something. It’s hard to discern exactly what it is that’s eating Beck – his lyrics are as opaque as the reverb that shimmers around his voice – but it’s clear that he’s being eaten.
The result is a tenderly executed folk record. The quirks and production tricks are less ornate than anything in his discography, even the relatively paired-back Sea Change, signaling a Beck comfortable letting his music stand on its own, even if he can’t. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that sad Beck might just be the best Beck. May his days continue to be existential nightmares.
Morning Phase is out now on iTunes, vinyl and CD, and we have two vinyl copies to give away thanks to EMI. To enter, send your name and address to giveaways@smithjournal.com.au
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