Reviews (page 7 of 14)
A fine enough album to vibe out to.
1. The Golden Age 2. Lost Cause 3. Guess I'm Doing Fine
Beck sheds his esoteric folk for something a bit more traditional but it doesn't lose anything as a result. Guess I'm Doing Fine was a real highlight in an album that is no high paces, high tempo or high spirits but was a great match for my mood today.
Not even in Beck’s top 1001 albums
Okay.
Haven't heard this album before. I do like Beck but ouch, not when he makes chill music. This almost put me to sleep, I'm used to him making more fun tunes 2/5
Trist mann, dette
was better than i thought it was going to be but i still wouldn’t listen to it again
Fitting my own musical taste Need to listen more :3
Slower but I enjoyed it
I wouldn't mind liking this album, but it falls into the "respect but don't particularly enjoy" category. (Except "Lost Cause", which I already knew and which is beautiful. Much of the rest of the album uses a lot more discordance, which, good for it, but that doesn't mean I want to listen to it.)
Yes fine alright okay jolly good. 6/10
Oh man, I am REALLY conflicted on this one. Listen, I absolutely love Beck. Guero is probably going to be an instant 5. The fact that he’s got 3 albums on here makes me incredibly happy. But that’s just the thing, usually his albums make me incredibly happy. This is sad Beck. I don’t like listening to sad Beck ☹️. That being said, this entire album is absolutely beautiful, even if it makes me incredibly sad listening to it. Favorite song is “Paper Tiger”, with a special shoutout to “Sunday Sun”. Also worth mentioning is the super cool album art. Whenever I like the album art, I always internally give a bit of a bonus point. It’s simple yet cool, and really compliments the vibes of the album. I really don’t know if I want to return to this album again, but objectively it’s gorgeous and incredibly well done. Perhaps Beck at his saddest, least goofy and most vulnerable. So, final verdict? Let’s give it a 4, on the dot a 4.0. I am going to need to listen to Guero as a palette cleanser though after this.
So rich and multi-layered, experimental over a traditional song structure and it works as both separate and a whole. Really a departure from the Beck I'm familiar with.
ziemlich whiney-dudelig. nicht viel zu sagen
So close to being a reccomendation for me, but the tail half of the album just straight up lacks. Cool music, but kinda depressing and exagerated. I like the genre blends, but nothing I will return to. 4/10
*sigh. Why is it so hard for me to get into folk music? I mean, it wasn't bad, but still....
Just already heard this. Beautiful Goodrich production, and Ive never rated Beck as a singer fairly before this. Stark, restrained and brilliant songwriting.
A bit mournful yet an interesting combination of styles and still full of hooks.
Well that was disappointing. What I like most about Beck is how playful and fun he can be. This was well performed but just so dreary and dull. I had to force myself to finish.
One of the best breakup albums I've listened to
This is not why you listen to Beck.
Not the Beck album I'd recommend to a newcomer. But once you're into Beck, this is a great vibe once and a while.
It's a nice background listen, but forgettable. 2.5 for me.
Decent listen. Pretty Beck through and through. The Golden Age is such a great track.
A nice little indie acoustic odyssey. It's nice to see Beck's softer side albeit it is making me a little sleepy.
Lush, beautiful and vibrant, which ends up being a contrast to the isolation and loneliness of the lyrics. Awesome stuff
Masterpiece of an album leaning heavily into melancholy. I regret not listening to a full Beck album sooner.
Man, this album came out within my peak Beck listening years and I barely remember it. It’s pretty to listen to but still too ambient (or like… airy? idk the right word) for me to really get invested. Maybe that’s my loss, but if I was in this kinda mood I’d go with Morning Phase nine times out of ten.
Can’t give half stars so gave it 5 after a full listen. Another album I’ve listened to multiple times especially about 18 years ago. Great album. Hard to choose a favorite Beck, but after listening again in full realized just how strong it is.
I did not know that Beck made a Nick Drake album.
this shit changed high school tylore’s WORLD. agree with nelson that it drifts off in the back half, but beck’s still a killer with two turntables
First half so good!
5/5
Real close to getting two stars here but the Beck name recognition puts it over. This is not a fun album. It does have some good musicality though, albeit this album sounds similarly morose throughout. Beck's best albums are 'Odelay' and 'Guero,' hope I get to rate them higher. Top Tracks: "The Golden Age," "Lost Cause"
wow what a gorgeous album to listen to you while you chase 100 sleeping pills with a bottle of Jack.
--The Golden Age...good morning music --Paper Tiger...easy listening symphonic funk. cool --Guess I'm Doing Fine...feels like a sequel to Golden Age. Not a bad thing --Lonesome Tears...the production is glorious --Lost Cause...simple and sad. wonderful --End of the Day...first track I didn't love. Still good --It's All in Your Mind...feels similar to End of the Day --Round the Bend...hear some Radiohead in this. beautiful --Already Dead...gorgeous --Sunday Sun...seems like a bridge to Beck's past with the electronic beat, but still sounds at home here with the piano and acoustic guitar --Little One...interesting. Not one of the better tracks but it could grow on me --Side of the Road...Beck's voice and the production are nice, but this feels like a 90 second idea of a song that's been stretched to 3 minutes
Langsam und ruhig, ein bisschen traurige Stimmung. Handelt von dem Ende einer Beziehung
Okay, just a little slow for me and not readily as creative as some of his other albums.
This list has given me 3 Beck albums now and I'm still not a fan.
Beck is one of those old school bands / artists that you never realized kept making a ton of music. He hadn't made anything notable since Odelay, but there are a few good albums he's made over the years. This one is not one of those. This list could have included "Colors" which came out in 2017 and is one of my favorites. With that rant over, I'll just say that Sea Change is a somber romp of easy listening but with nothing notable worth mentioning. He apparently wrote this after he found out his fiancée was cheating on him, and it shows. There's a ton of wrist slitters on here... I'm now sadder for having listened to it. I'm not sure I want to add any of these to the playlist as I hate killing the vibes. I might just pop this one on after I finish all 1001 albums if you know what I mean. Despite the depressing tone, It's nice enough work to rate at 2 stars here. After all, Beck is a legend.
A sad sleepy album. I'm not into sad and sleepy. I guess it was alright for what it is.
———————————— I’m giving it a three for the few songs I liked, though most of the songs were kinda slow and boring, and I skipped. If it were playing in public, I wouldn’t take notice of it. My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to whole songs. 1 - No.
Pleasant enough but lacking the fun and creativity of his best output
Radiohead, but more boring, and the cover is annoying me.
Absolutely incredible. Love this album, long time fan.
Ambiental. Excel·lent per posar-te'l de fons mentres treballes, encara que sigui del 2002, te tocs molt 70. Entenem referència a Prince?
Very pleasant but not boring.
Feels like a decent 2000 soft rock album-- Didnt love but it definitely fits its time frame. I think if I was in a differnt mindset I might really like this album
The production and layering is great. I probably wouldn’t listen to this again though, there’s some variety but just a lot of good mid tempo rock songs that got a bit tiring. 2.5 stars
I've listened to 2 Beck albums so far and don't remember them being like this. Moody, atmospheric, gentle, good chords (I love good chords). I said in a previous review that he must be dead boring live - and I was pulled up on it by someone who's seen him. But I totally stand by that comment as there's no way I would want to sit through him doing these songs live unless I had been given a guest pass and was right at the back near the exit. However for pootling around in headphones, tidying away the garden stuff and putting the bins out then this is perfect. So far Beck albums have got a 4 & 4 from me. He's consistent I'll give him that. 4½
Some good sadboi stuff but needed the occasional increase in tempo now and then.
En 2002, Beck Hansen, le kaléidoscope musical, l'architecte sonore imprévisible qui nous avait habitués à des collages exubérants et des hymnes ironiques, mettait au monde "Sea Change". Oubliées, les excentricités de "Midnite Vultures" ou les expérimentations débridées de "Odelay" car cet album offre une plongée abyssale dans les eaux glacées du chagrin d'amour. La clef de voûte de "Sea Change" est la fin d'une relation de longue date et chaque note, chaque mot, chaque silence est imprégné d'une mélancolie poignante. Là où l'artiste se cachait auparavant derrière des personnages et des couches de sarcasme, il se met ici à nu, offrant à l'auditeur une vulnérabilité quasi inédite dans son parcours. Cette mise à nu est la force principale de l'album, mais peut-être aussi sa seule petite faiblesse : l'uniformité du ton, cette tristesse omniprésente qui peut rendre l'écoute exigeante, voire éprouvante si l'on n'est pas dans les dispositions adéquates. La production, assurée par le génial Nigel Godrich (connu pour son travail avec Radiohead), est un écrin somptueux pour cette collection de complaintes. Le son est ample, organique et d'une clarté cristalline. Godrich a su créer un espace sonore où chaque instrument respire, où la voix de Beck, plus grave et profonde que jamais, peut se déployer sans fard. L'instrumentation délaisse les samples et les boîtes à rythmes pour un retour aux sources folk et acoustiques. Les guitares, qu'elles soient sèches ou électriques, dessinent des arpèges délicats et des mélodies éplorées. Mais la véritable signature sonore de "Sea Change" réside dans ses arrangements de cordes. Loin d'être de simples fioritures, les violons, violoncelles et altos, arrangés par le père de Beck, David Campbell, sont l'âme de l'album. Ils ne se contentent pas d'accompagner les chansons ; ils en sont le contrepoint émotionnel, soulignant la solitude sur "Lonesome Tears" ou tissant une toile de désolation sur "Round the Bend". Dès les premières secondes de "The Golden Age" et sur un rythme lent et une guitare acoustique scintillante, Beck chante la perte des illusions : "These days I barely get by / I don't even try". C'est une introduction parfaite à l'univers de l'album, une invitation à un voyage introspectif et doux-amer. S'ensuivent des perles de folk endeuillé comme "Guess I'm Doing Fine" ou la sublime "Lost Cause", peut-être le titre le plus emblématique de l'album, où Beck admet sa défaite amoureuse avec une résignation qui fend le cœur. Pourtant, "Sea Change" n'est pas qu'un simple disque de folk acoustique. "Paper Tiger" est une surprise de taille, un hommage à peine voilé à l'Histoire de Melody Nelson de Serge Gainsbourg. La ligne de basse sinueuse, les cordes amples et l'atmosphère cinématographique démontrent que même dans la tristesse, le génie de Beck pour l'hybridation des genres reste présent. C'est un moment de bravoure qui brise la quiétude de l'ensemble, rappelant l'auditeur à la complexité de l'artiste. Les textes, d'une simplicité et d'une franchise rares chez Beck, sont d'une beauté désolée. Les métaphores sont directes, les images puissantes. "We're living on a fault line" ("Nous vivons sur une ligne de faille") chante-t-il dans "The Golden Age". "Your heart is a empty room" ("Ton cœur est une pièce vide") dans "Lost Cause". Chaque phrase résonne comme un fragment de journal intime exposé au grand jour, une confession universelle sur la douleur de la séparation. En conclusion, ce sera une note de 4 sur 5 car si cette immersion est totale, elle manque parfois de la variété et du grain de folie qui caractérisent tant le reste de son œuvre. L'album est si cohérent dans sa thématique et son ambiance qu'il peut frôler la redondance. "Sea Change" est l'album de la maturité, celui où l'amuseur public a laissé place au confesseur. C'est une oeuvre courageuse, qui a pris le risque de dérouter ses fans de la première heure pour offrir quelque chose de plus profond, de plus viscéral. Si sa tristesse peut le rendre difficile d'accès, la récompense est à la hauteur de l'effort : une expérience musicale et humaine d'une richesse inouïe. C'est la bande-son parfaite pour les cœurs brisés, les dimanches pluvieux et les moments de contemplation solitaire. Un disque qui accompagne les peines à défaut de les guérir.
Dull has its benefits. Comfortable and comforting; the poetry of banality is all gentle rhyming couplets and familiar imagery. Beck – this Beck anyway, I think he might have been cool in the 90s – is expert at both. It’s all “Lost Causes” this, “End of the Day” that and “Round the Bend” whatever; saying nothing about the congealed mass of quotidian observations that pass for lyrics. (“Love looks away in the harsh light of day” is the level here.) The most interesting song on this record – “Lonesome Tears”, perhaps the only song with any sort of notable development on the whole record – features a string section approximating the Shepard Tone at its denouement. (Shame you first you need to get through Beck talking about his tears for more than four minutes first, but meh.) It’s the perfect analogy really. While, like the Shepard Tone, Sea Change feels like it must be doing something … its true charm is in the realisation that it’s just staying still. So while I wasn’t moved by this record, nor did I resent listening to it. Dull has its place sometimes.
Massive downer with some very solid tunes, notably lost cause.
Love it so far. Never given this a listen. Gonna shoot for all the way through
Beck has such great albums….this was a choice.
I've listened to a few Beck albums before but, "Loser" aside, I never really liked them all that much. The reinvention on this one is this sorely welcomed by me! Indie folk has a very fine line between "heartbreakingly beautiful" and "most boring thing I've ever heard", and Beck manages to stay on the right side of the line here.
W9rking in a record shop peeing in plastic tubs then in a bunk bed with my ex in laws ignore me while...well doing whatever it was they were doing. Before that I don't know bill came back
This year I've become something of a Beckhead (Beckfreak? Becker?), and from the outset many of the albums of his I've entertained have taken several listens to really feel like I could fully appreciate them... However, any of his more somber, slow songs like "Ramshackle" or "Blackhole" immediately clicked with me. Sooo its a no-brainer that I adore this album. Astute listeners will notice the beautiful production thanks to Nigel Godrich, a pretty prolific fella. Beck excels at writing total gobbledygook lyrics that somehow translate into musical profundity; that isn't too on display here, meaning we get some sappy realness from this alleged NOT Scientologist. Great stuff ! Another album great for a blistery morning walk in the dead of winter
Liian löysää Beckiä
Sea Change is a pleasant listen, but ultimately left me underwhelmed. Given Beck's impressive discography, I expected more from this album than what it delivered. One of the major shortcomings is the lack of a standout hit or a more energetic track. The album leans heavily into a slow, melancholic vibe and misses the spark of earlier Beck classics like "Devils Haircut" or "Loser." While the mood is consistent, it sometimes feels too one-note and meandering, lacking the dynamism that usually defines his work. Favourite track: "Lost Cause" – a beautifully written and performed song that stands out as a highlight. Least favourite: "Round the Bend" – unfortunately, it lived up to its name; slow, uneventful, and difficult to sit through. Album artwork: Fairly typical for Beck – nothing particularly striking, but fits the tone of the album. Overall, Sea Change is a mellow detour in Beck’s career, but for me, it felt a bit too subdued and lacked the engaging edge I was hoping for.
Surprisingly good
I like the vocals and songs. It's worth revisiting once in a while
It's wonderfully melancholy for when you're in the mood, but sad Beck sounds surprisingly ordinary.
lo mejor de BECK
Hay algo de Nick Drake ahi
I have a bunch of Beck songs saved, and I own my favorite two albums (mellow gold and odelay). But I unfortunately hated this album. It did nothing for me. I think the problem is that the beautiful angelic music just doesn’t mesh well with his vocals. In a song like hot wax his vocals fit perfectly. But on this album they felt so melodramatic and distracting, while the actual music of the album was enjoyable and relaxing. Honestly I hope Beck’s other albums are on this list cause this is like one of the absolute worst to start with.
Weirdly, I only started to like this a bit from Lonesome Tears on. It was a 2 before, but there's enough decent stuff to make it a 3. Just not really my style, overall.
A little too samey and boring for my tastes. I know I like some Beck songs so this one did frustrate me a bit - it said a lot that this album seemingly had no big hits. I hope we get something more interesting from Beck in the future.
Enjoyed this one a lot more than I imagined I would. It being produced by Nigel Godrich, who most notably works with Radiohead, probably helped with that.
Echoing what the rest of the group said. Fine overall, first few songs were cool, but after Lonesome Tears it all kinda blends together
The front half of the album is EXCELLENT - near 5⭐️ territory. But starting with Round The Bend, the album shifts into a more ambient-oriented sound that sort of loses me, although I can see the thematic significance behind it. Idk, maybe I'm not heartbroken enough for it. Tentative 4 because the front half is that good. It might need to grow on me some more. Standouts: The Golden Age • Paper Tiger • Lonesome Tears
There are a lot of good songs on this album, but i think it starts to blend together and congeal, if you will, in the second half. The first four or five songs are excellent and I wish he had kept that energy the whole time!
Chillig
I like this artist but maybe not this album except for a few songs. Overall nice in the background.
she changed Sea Change by the sea chore
I have always had Beck in my head as Radiohead for 40 year olds that think music released in the early 2000s is "new" and get all their album recs from the Grammys but I actually quite enjoyed this, the more over-produced orchestral stuff did not really vibe with me but quite enjoyed the sort of alt-country stuff. Nice job Beckerson Fav song: Sunday Sun
Quite a good sound overall. Liked the lyrics
Didn’t like it.
This is #day330 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… finally, my last Beck album. I still don't get why he's considered an essential listen. You want a compelling breakup record? Try Blemish by David Sylvian, released a year later. As for Sea Change, I can't help but feel like Beck is trying to go Radiohead here, mostly because of the orchestration and drumming, I think (quick check: the album was produced by Nigel Godrich). There's some nice instrumentation scattered throughout, sure, but it really starts to drag halfway in, and the songs don't differ much from one another. Then again, maybe that's how it feels when you're going through a breakup. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day331.
One of my favorite albums. “Lost Cause” was on heavy rotation during my angsty teen years. I once heard someone refer to Beck as “Bob Dylan for millennials”, and while I hate that phrasing, I think that there are certain undeniable parallels between BD and Beck that make his music timeless.
A good album that I’d listen to again, especially when I’m wanting to feel a little wistful in the San Francisco fog. Beyond the lyrics, the music actually sounds like the breakup of a long-term relationship, which is good work from Beck. My main knock on Sea Change is that the individual songs don’t distinguish themselves nearly enough.
Fine. Couldn’t tell one song from the next. It was all slow and broody. Writing was good by the album didn’t hook me
Overall enjoyed but felt more like one long song than an album
Respect Beck as a musician but I’ve only ever enjoyed his music he did for a video game lol. This album sounds like a 10/10 to the right ears I’m sure, but I wasn’t too hooked at the pristine but familiar textures and sounds.
Mellow and moody, not what I expected. Decent album - has Jason Falkner and Roger Manning from Jellyfish so that’s cool to see/hear. But nothing that I feel like warrants additional listens.
So I found the most boring Beck album today. The side effects are depression, sleepiness, and REALLY wanting to change albums. It's pretty obvious he was going though some things. It sounds like a break up. I did enjoy real instruments, I also liked that it was oversampled and full of gibberish. It's just boring. If I was going though a break-up or in the middle of a deep depression I think this would be the soundtrack. When I want to listen to a Beck album with real instruments and not be sad when I'm done I will put on One Foot in the Grave. It's a much better album.
good
Nope. I do not like the music of Beck. Dull.
What a quiet masterpiece, with country elements. Every song brings emotions.
Good, kinda annoying in some parts but generally okay
not my cup of tea. Too depressed
Album de rock alternativo, con un sonido muy de los años 2000. no es para nada malo, pero no es de mi gusto.
made me sleepy
OK - no standout tracks for me but an easy listen
Not a typical beck album that I'm used to but a really nice chill sound. Would be a good driving around at night album
This is Beck's most emo album, from an era when emo was finally cool. Thank you for giving us one of the saddest records ever recorded, Beck Hansen.
I really enjoy this album. Lotta of underrated classics on here, depressing as hell, but still fire. Love it. 4/5
Not really my vibe. Some songs are passable I guess. It was hard to sit through it. Too long - could have been a 40 min album.
This was Enjoyable, I’ve been struggling to find some acoustic tunes and this album is full of those.
I feel like this is the spiritual precursor to Morning Phase which is a beautiful album. I liked Sea Change but not as much.
Leider aus Sicht so mancher schlecht gealtert - ich finde, das Gegenteil ist der Fall - ein Album für die Insel. Phantastisches Songwriting, brillante Arrangements, ein sonnig-fiebrig-schläfrig glänzendes und flirrendes Sommeralbum, der Soundtrack zur Hitzewelle, und todtraurig. Wahrscheinlich unter meinen ewigen Top 20. 5/5
Beatles-inspired soft rock. Sunday Sun and Little One are some standout tracks.
Classic
It’s not my *favorite* Bowie album, but that being said it’s still really good. No complaints and an enjoyable listen, even if it’s trumped by
I was disappointed in the this album by Beck. It was so different than the other albums of his. I get that not all caches can be upbeat but rarely do I like the sad mid/low tempo versions which is the feeling I got from this one.
His best
Demonstrates that you can be melancholy without being maudlin. Rounding down from 3.5* though because it felt about 2-3 tracks too long.
Didn’t do anything for me. It couldn’t keep me from being distracted.
Pretty decent. Lost Cause is an excellent song. Didn't realize Beck was this good a singer. Can't quite give it 4*, as I don't see myself coming back to the album, but 3.5* for sure.
Sad Beck writes a nice soulful ballad. But an entire album of them wears thin. This is not the only album on the list of “Oops! All Sad Ballads” and they all disinterest me in the same way. I know music is a form of expression, but it’s like trying to talk to a mopey friend when you’re having a good day. The vibes are never going to match, and they will just bring you to their level.
Love this album. A mature Beck emerges from the free styling kinetic energy of his earlier releases. I’m still a bigger fan of the early stuff but this is solid.
Not my cup of tea, but may appeal to some of in a melancholy mood.
The least memorable Beck album so far. It wasn't bad, I would consider listening again, but it was lacking standout / strong tracks that other albums of his have had.
BIG improvement to Odelay Emotional songwriting with nice folkish production
Next time I'm heartbroken or sad, I'm putting this one on! Amazing production! fav tracks: The Golden Age, Paper Tiger, Lost Cause, Lonsome Tears, Guess I'm Doing Fine. 4/5
Beck is an "one of a kind" I love his music
He’s just so whiney
Not a big fan
I've never been a big fan of Beck. I find most of his stuff boring and forgettable...and this album is no exception :P Nothing stood out as anything really good, tho I guess nothing also stood out as being really bad either.
Wow. This hit deep. A breakup album but beautiful music and the voice melts into the music too as its own instrument. Sometimes I felt like he was singing for me (like a normal album), sometimes I felt like he wanted to sing alone and I was observing. It works as a whole album that needs to be listened as one.
Bom álbum. CVJ Night Elf.
Oh my god, who hurt you?!? This is not the fun, quirky "loser" Beck. This is a Beck that has been through some shit. Lost Cause is an immediate add to favorites - heartbreaking.
Calm.
The better of the dour Beck acoustic albums- this one has some great songs on it (even the japan bonus track is pretty good) but it's a bit monotonous in it's sustained mood. It's the beginning of the last leg for Beck's career- by 2010 he'd run out of steam, so it's to be savored.
Ok
Good album, but overall a bit too sleepy for my taste.
The his was pretty good. 3.75
Love this album exploring love lost.
too mellow
This album was beautiful but not as much fun as Odelay.
In a year that included masterpieces by Wilco, The Flaming Lips, The Streets, Interpol and Eminem comes Beck with Sea Change, my favorite of the pack. An album, heavily influenced by Serge Gainsbourg’s dark, soaring orchestration, was a constant companion after my divorce a few years ago. Songs like I Guess I’m Doing Fine and Lost Cause defined my life at that time. Some say it’s a depressing record, but no, hints of optimism are weaved through it culminating in this line: Yesterdays are mending Sunday Sun
2.5
2.5
this is boring sorry Becko 2/5
When I was around 15 years old, I remember hearing a few Beck songs and loving how he refused to stay within one genre between albums. My English teacher (The Danks) told me that Sea Change was his best album, and I went away to listen and found it hard to say which was the best. Comparing Beck albums is like comparing apples to oranges, because they can be so different. I did love it though, and I love it to this day. He’s probably the one artist that I’ve never seen like but would love to see more than anyone else. This is an album full of dreamlike beauty, like meditation to a beat.
So laid back and cool. Love it. 4.5/5
Fun loser Beck is good, but I love sad melancholy Beck too. This is actually one of my favorite Beck albums. It felt like such a hard turn from his other stuff. “Lost Cause” is such a beautiful song.
'Sea Change' was the second record Beck made with Nigel Godrich, the unofficial member of Radiohead who, just like George Martin did with The Beatles, produced every single Radiohead record to incredible ends. Beck and Nigel's first collaboration, 1998's 'Mutations' was a mixed bag — the beginnings of the stripped-down, world-weary singer/songwriter side of Beck is present, but that record had more upbeat moments. 'Sea Change' dug it's heels into the lusher, cinematic vibes from their first collaboration — an approach undoubtedly influenced by the persistent subject matter of 'Sea Change': heartbreak and transformation. 'Sea Change' is eery and moody, strongly evoking artists emerging from the initial folk boom of the early 60s like Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake who incorporated gorgeous string arrangements and maudlin posturing to great effect. The track 'Round The Bend' so closely resembles Nick Drake's 1969 track 'River Man' in both content and style — and their send-ups to the iconic sound throughout Drake's 'Five Leaves Left' are such pitch-perfect homages. But Beck and Nigel build on these influences, capturing the emotional and sonic essence while adorning it with more-modern instrumentation and production; tracks like 'Paper Tiger', 'Lonesome Tears', and 'End of The Day' hint at the work Nigel would go on to produce with the wave of expertly engineered European chill-out music Air and Zero 7 were pioneering a few years later. It's not hard to hear the threads connecting 2002's 'Sea Change' and 2014's grammy-winning 'Morning Phase'. 'Morning Phase' directly builds upon 'Sea Change', but the latter record, without the steady undercurrent of heartbreak, does not bore as deeply into the soul — it comes off as an incredible aesthetic achievement (again, grammy-winning) to vibe out to, and a record that end-capped the evolution of sad-boy Beck, but 'Sea Change' is without a doubt the better of the two — and possibly Beck's greatest, most complete work to date.
Não entendi o motivo desse álbum estar aqui, já que o próprio livro faz mais críticas do que elogios a ele. Um álbum insosso.
Very monotone. Not extremely bad, just very boring.
Bit sad really
Glorious album
6/10…Singer/Songwriter
Listened to it on the train back from a punk festival with a banging headache and little optimism going in. Its not the Beck I am used to but a Beck I was pleasantly surprised to receive. Its slow, and nice and introspective and well written. A bit of a drag? Sure but not enough of one to make me dislike it. I didn't know Beck could write like this, I enjoy his genre-mashing 90s output, to know he can also craft something like this has massively upped my opinion of him. A talented man for sure. Favourites - The Golden Age, Lonesome Tears, Lost Cause, End Of The Day, Already Dead
I literally only learned who Beck was because of Kanye West. This album’s sound draws the comparison that Beck is to Eddie Vedder what Rufus Wainwright is to Thom Yorke. The Golden Age (8/10) Paper Tiger (7/10) Guess I’m Doing Fine (8/10) Lonesome Tears (7/10) Lost Cause (6/10) End of the Day (7/10) It’s All In Your Mind (7/10) Round the Bend (7/10) Already Dead (7/10) Sunday Sun (6/10) Little One (7/10) Side of the Road (7/10) 7/10
Sounds lovely, content ok/good-ish 3.5 really I suppose
A very pleasant sounding album that has good musicianship but nothing as hooky as his earlier works. For that reason, the album doesn’t stand out for me.
Sad Beck. Solid songs even though they were depressing.
The chameleon himself. I loved this album and still do. Makes me want to kill myself in the best way. Folky and funky and weird and feels out of time. Crazy follow up to his funk masterpiece Midnite Vultures. 5/5
Beck using his powers for sad is so goddamn effective.
Inoffensively dull
Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 🌈🪮🧁 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🌧️💔🎻 Rating: 🌊🌊🌊🌊/5
Boring couldn't even make it past the third song.
Like it. Favourite track is Paper Tiger 3/5
Чел похож на Майкла Серу, музыка понравилась, на самом деле нет нормальных точек для референса (возможно чучуть похоже на боуи(хотя вообще нет, просто обложка напомнила)), так что просто скажу что норм, средне, прикольно, даже есть пара понравившихся бэнгеров.
Historically I’m not the biggest Beck fan so ai wasn’t expecting to love this. But this is such a good album, very very high quality song writing.
Too poppy
Melancolico, envolvente, atmosferico. Excelente.
Good but really good? No 2.7
Sad hipster cowboy discovers reverb and makes an okay album
Parts sound like they could have inspired Car Seat Headrest, but it might just be a coincidence. The round the bend song sounds quite a lot like Nick Drake, and a few others as well. They don't really feel like rip-offs though. Feels a lot more pop/polished than the last one if I remember right. I think the last one was also much more varied, which doesn't make it better necessarily. Just read that its the Radiohead producer, which I guess explains why it feels polished in the same way as this era-Radiohead like some of Kid A and Hail to the Thief. Not really any downsides, only I guess that some of it feels a little bit boring, but definitely still listenable. Favourite songs: The Golden Age, paper Tiger, guess I'm doing fine, lost cause, It's all in your mind, round the bend, already dead, Sunday sun. Overall around 7/10
very different to becks other albums but a really nice change of style that suits him, really lovely strings and vocals, delving into themes of heartbreak, very good album will be interested to listen again
I think this album would have been helped by increasing the tempo overall. Kinda boring to listen to
This album was pretty heartbreaking, but it was also very sweet. In like a father john misty, bright eyes, soul crushing or soul examining type of way. Painful as fuck but the vulnerability has a real beauty to it. Beck is growing on me. I know Beck, like most, to be the Loser guy and the Que'Onda Guero guy, which is real bad of me to be summing him up in such a way. So this kind of album was like a pretty solid gut punch. It's not like I'd put something like this on on a regular basis or anything, it is miserably potent. Overall, this group of tracks felt very relational to one another, and complimentary in that way where to me they almost sound like the same song trying to say different things. They are equally potent though and they all have unique sonic moods. Shit makes you feel cold and alone as hell. I mean if you're in the mood to wallow this is the album for you. Goddamn!
It looks like you got a little pain behind those eyes
Chamber pop feel with the Nigel production 👌🏼 I think I like sad beck
Love de vibe. Lekker mellow
I prefer wacky, genre-bending Beck to sad, pipe-and-slippers Beck but this has some wonderful moments. It's a beautiful record at times but it could do with a few changes of pace and a bit more adrenaline. Obviously the subject material centres on heartbreak and you can't really argue with a man writing from the heart, especially a man with this kind of talent at the top of his game. It's best when it leans into the more layered, psychedelic moments but it also has a gorgeous fragility as songs build up around his plaintive vocals. I don't know if the generator has finished feeding me Beck albums but I hope there's at least another twist to come as his 90s output definitely deserves inclusion above the two 00s representatives I've had so far.
I found Sea Change utterly unmemorable maudling and bleak, especially vocal-wise. The only exciting moment came at the end of Lonesome Tears. However, the reviews made me check out previous Beck's works and I found them way more enjoyable. There is even some life to his voice and you can decipher words. Maybe if you follow his career in the right order, Sea Change gets a few points for being different?
Fine
Great album to chill to!
He had a lot of interesting sound/instrumentation choices throughout. Oddly enough, I found his voice monotonous yet pleasant.
The songs of this album are just fine. Sonically speaking is perfection. The whole album is too depressive for me. I prefer Beck in rock/ indie albums.
Beck’s breakup album and that’s an undersell if there ever was one. This one is as personal as Beck is going to get and this one is much more stripped down than is typical of Beck.
Pleasant enough listen, without any standout tracks. A bit dull Beck, you can & have done better.
Love beck but not vibey
One of my all time favourites ❤️
I love this album. I've loved it since the day it came out.
i think he has matured a bit since odelay, but i still cannot like him, one hour of beck is too much beck 2.5/5
Owned. Lots of playtime. It helped me through my first significant break up. Oh Annika, if only... ;-)
Fand die Musik sehr chillig und entspannend. Kein einziges Mal es als störend empfunden, auch wenn die Melodie/Lyrics schon sehr ähnlich klangen hatten wir andere Alben in dieser Liste wo es mich aufgeregt hat. Dieser Typ hats am besten hingekriegt
Chillaxig, aber auch nicht bahnbrechend. Konnt ich gut beim arbeiten weghören
Very emotional. Not quite the Beck I thought I knew, which is cool. This felt very introspective and somber at times.
I don't think Sea Change is a great starting point in any sense of the word. It hardly represents Beck's overall discography, and when it comes to alt-country you certainly have acts better suited to ease you into the genre. This is why my first go around with Sea Change a couple years ago was something I could recognize as great, but ultimately decided was not for me. However, now I find myself liking outfits like Silver Jews or Big Thief more than ever, and it allows this album retroactively to flourish, albeit still pale in comparison to its contemporaries. Beck's monotone delivery compliments the sweeping instrumentation gorgeously, and the heavier moments pack the right serving and balance of emotion and grandeur. It can be a bit dull in its weaker moments, and as with seemingly all albums of the 2000s, it is too long, but this album deserves to be seen as one of Beck's crowning achievements, even if it isn't the best representation of his overall catalogue.
As I listened it grew on me. Certainly melancholy. I liked it
I admit I haven't thought much about Beck, ever. I liked it, but didn't love it. Very midtempo throughout, quite depressing, but some very nice string arrangements.
Lovely album with Nick Drake vibes. But probably not essential listening before you die.
Always got time for Beck
Good Laid back stuff from Beck
The perfect soundtrack for driving through the hills of Arran, rugged, tranquil and utterly beautiful
I could understand why Beck made this record after the previous offerings. It was interesting in some places, I like some of the strings, thought the variety of vocals was interesting.
A bit slow but I enjoyed. Will listen again. Would add it to the collection at the right price
First? 3/5 Again? 3/5
I enjoy this record
I am very much into the Sea Change type Beck. There’s no particular reason why I should prefer this to other more gentle acoustic offering but I think there’s something about how he structures songs that appeals ro me. I hadn’t heard this before but I did listen to Morning Phase a lot.
I liked to sad tune which I believe fit perfect for a rainy day
Nothing crazy nothing that interesting
3/10
Soy un paradon
Not bad, but kinda sleepy. Not my favorite
This was great.
With more than 20 years of perspective, this really does seem to capture the Pitchfork bro vibe of the early '00s. It's sad and melancholic and easy to listen to. Its use of strings screams sophistication, if you're the kind of person to confuse a large studio budget for sophistication. It was also a transformational record - something those hipsters really got on board with - as Hansen seemed to stop fucking around with the party sound and get down to serious biz. It captured the timber of the self-important early aughts, but, man, it's just another folk-thing chronicling the unbearable pain of being white and boring. These songs are fine enough, but are they worth making room in your life for? Not really.
eh, loved his song “Loser”, but this album wasn’t all the great to me. Not unlistenable, but not something I’d actively seek out to listen to.
- entspannt, sehr laid back, insgesamt einfach stimmig - dafür hat aber nichts besonders herausgestochen für mich 3
I like what it's going for, and it's doing interesting things occasionally, but I got bored. I want a bit more variety, in tempo, in dynamics, in whatever.
Lost Cause is a favorite song of mine. The rest of the album compliments it well.
Not really my Beck record. I like it when it rocks a little harder.
Might have scored slightly higher but in one song they mugged off Elvis calling him a racist. I ain’t having that!
I always think of Beck as an assentic musical genius (he seems to be able to play every instrument), while I know of so many Beck songs, I haven't listened to enough of his albums. I use to have the CD's of Guero, Odelay and Mellow Gold but outside of those I only knew a couple of tracks (Lost Cause and It's All in Your Mind). I went into this album no recognising any of the track names, but there were a couple of songs I recognised. The album feels so melo and emotional, it feels like Beck was in a depression. I had to read his wikipedia, and it seems like this came as a result of a 9 year relationship ending. I found this album so heavy and sad; while it was a good album, it's not something I would play unless I want to sink into a depression. Standouts: The Golden Age, Paper Tiger, Lonesome Tears, Lost Cause, It's All In Your Mind
A really nice toned town album, the acoustic guitar was kind of the main driving force of the songs with some strings in the background, it kind of reminds me of Nick Drake songs on Bryter Layter sometimes especially on the song end of the day which is probably my favourite from the album, not too much variety in the whole album other than the difference in some of the singles with a more larger sound to the choruses but that’s not a bad thing when it’s done well, which it was. Favourites: the first 3, end of the road, round the bend, already dead and the last song which also is linked to roads for some reason. Overall, 7.5/10.
Kind of surprised by this. Wasn’t expecting a more stripped down album from Beck. It was good. 3/5 Might listen again
Really good album!
Not depressed? Want to be? Listen to this! I liked his earlier stuff a lot, this not so much.
Sea Change but I wish I could’ve heard a change in sound at any point in this album. Round the Bend is one I enjoyed the most.
Genuinely enjoyed this album. I had listened to a few of Beck's singles before, but never Sea Change in its entirety. Like a lot of artists who straddle the folk and rock genres, Beck doesn't shy away from exploring the bluer side of the emotional spectrum. I liked the instrumentation on many of the tracks, incorporating melodies and countermelodies from instruments you wouldn't expect from the genre. In the last 90 seconds of Paper Tiger, there's a duel between the guitar, strings, and bass that is just sublime. Favorite tracks: Paper Tiger, Lost Cause, Sunday Sun
Beck's mom must've told him to stop mumbling one too many times as a child, and now he's made a whole career out of mumbling lyrics to get back at her. Also, nothing stood out to me on this album. It's not a 1 because I didn't physically cringe at any party of the album.
I expected more energy :(
There is nothing bad with this album except it is incredibly boring.
I've never listened to Beck. I've heard a lot of his music and have always placed it in my 'not interested' bucket. This is the first full album I've listened to, and I really liked it. I didn't associate this sound with him, and I know this might be a rare sound for him, but it was a pleasant surprise. I might return to this one.
Meh 3/5
No reason for this album, his other one was good. If your voice isn't the strongest then you have to demonstrate experimentation but it's just the same song again and again.
Very chill, very relaxed
Two Becks in three days is at least one too many! This one felt tired and repetitive, not nearly as fresh and upbeat as Odelay (my other recent Beck selection). Both Odelay and Sea Change apparently came out of periods of personal loss and change, but in the former, life events lead to interesting insights and musical inspiration, while the latter just seems to focus on bleak feelings in the bleakest manner imaginable.
Too emo too slow. 1/5
The two extremes of Beck. This and Midnite Vultures. This is my favourite though.
The Serge Gainsbourg sample was really the only thing that made me pay this any attention
Quite slow and sad, but also full and well-produced. A bit of a dirge, but not bad at all.
This was a chill good album
I don’t like the slow monotony
I dunno
Not my favourite Beck, but I do enjoy the breezy sort of malaise of this album.
I really enjoyed this album!
Next time I go through a breakup I'll be sure to shower to some of these songs lol. Good instrumentation but it wasn't for me 😬
A solid listen. Love his composition work, but not really wowed by his voice. Beautiful soundscapes in here, loved when the strings got involved, but underwhelmed with moments that fell into Americana vibes. Almost a 4* but not quite
Beck's "Odelay" was a staple in my teen years alt CD collection but I don't think I listened to much beyond that. As an adult I grew to enjoy Bob Dylan very much. Now that I have that appreciation and have gone bock to listen to this album I see an unmistakable similarity between this era Beck and the Great Dylan. I will have to review more of what Beck did after "Odelay".
Das Album Sea Change wurde größtenteils in den Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles aufgenommen. Beck, ein US-amerikanischer Musiker, ist bekannt für seine stilistische Vielseitigkeit, zeigt sich hier jedoch von einer ruhigeren, introspektiven Seite. Zu den herausragenden Titeln zählen „Lost Cause“, „Guess I'm Doing Fine“ und „The Golden Age“. Die Stücke sind überwiegend im Bereich Alternative Rock mit deutlichen Einflüssen aus Folk und Singer-Songwriter-Traditionen verortet. Das Album markiert einen bewussten Bruch mit Becks früheren, eher experimentellen Werken und fällt durch seine reduzierte Instrumentierung und persönliche Thematik auf. Die Produktion legt den Fokus auf akustische Elemente und melancholische Stimmungen. Sea Change gilt als eines der persönlichsten Alben des Künstlers.
So Beck made a major change from Midnite Vultures (his best album IMO), to Mutations to Sea Change. I would rather Midnite Vultures be on this list rather than Sea Change. This album is very slow, and includes some remakes of his early work (It's All In Your Mind, Guess I'm Doing Fine). I was going through my first divorce when this album came out and it helped a lot. For that alone it gets 4/5 stars. top tracks: The Golden Age Guess I'm Doing Fine It's All In Your Mind Little One
Sorry, but this was just boring.
Had some really cool instrumentals, very melancholy. I think upon repeat listens this could get higher, but it didn't stick with me a ton at the moment
'Beck' but not 'Jeff Beck'. 'Close but no guitar', how disappointing ;) Actually, 'disappointing' sums this up. I've never knowingly heard 'Beck' and if this is typical I don't particularly want to again. His vocals are lifeless, droning, lacking emotion. It's an album of songs that deserve, no, demand, a voice with some genuine emotional content. This sounds, 'robotic'. Not for me. 2/5.
The first half was more interesting than the last. Very chill. Eventually all the songs sounded the same.
great sounding different kind of Beck album. Really chill and mellow ..
Aside from Lost Cause which seems to be a Spotify indy mainstay, I had heard nothing else off the album. Pleasantly surprised at how thoughtful and well done the album was. Will listen again.
boringgg
Damn this white guy is sad. Cheer up Beck, u make pretty decent music.
yeah its ok, sad whiteboy sure is sad
Great
Boring
Reminded me a lot of Nick Drake at times. That in itself should have won me over but it was quite bland
Liked this a lot more than I was expecting to. I think I almost prefer this side of Beck to his usual style. A touch of Nick Drake melancholia about this which is no bad thing. Ok so it may be downbeat and not too cheerful but if it’s done right, like this, then it can still be a good listen.
Not sure if it is the deficiency of the list or me, but my initial reaction when this one popped up was that I can name at least 5 Beck albums better than this. As the title suggests this is a massive shift from his usual, quirky, lo-fi pop catchy tunes, and instead a more mellow and reflective album. As it was the bank holiday, I managed to give this a good listen and was pleased that I was wrong to be too hasty to judge. I love the orchestral arrangement on the tracks that had it and in particular Paper tiger and Lonesome tears. If anything those tracks could have done with more. The real top track is End of the Day that perfectly illustrates Beck’s songwriting abilities that add to his calibre as a great artist. The album does suffer from the same tone to each track and is crying out for some trademark Beck zaniness. Glad that this album exists but hoping more of his stuff appears too.
Another highly thought of artist that I never really got round to listening to. Guess that’s why we’re here right? Nice and chill first song. And the second, third and fourth. Nice. Beautifully produced as well, seriously velvety. The listening notes say it was recorded following a break up which explains the tone. But, it all starts to sound the same at least until you get to the magnificence of Little One which starts to channel Soundgarden-esque grunge and begins to rock out. No doubt about this dude’s genius, but this feels a bit too personal and self-indulgent. Gets 4* nonetheless.
I generally really like Beck, in fact I’ve been revisiting his back catalogue a bit since we had Odelay previously in here. However, all I’ve learnt here is not to go near his break up albums; it’s unsurprisingly slow and introspective. If I want melancholy/maudlin rock there are better artists to head to (Lanegan, Misty etc). This album was just sorely missing Beck’s usual upbeat and innovative spark. Disappointing.
Inoffensive and pretty chilled out but not for me
"I try to sing it funny like Beck, but it's bringing me down." But what if Beck stops singing it funny? I missed the album between Midnite Vultures and Guero. I don't remember why, but it is possible that I knew Beck was sad and I feared an entire album of Nobody's Fault But My Own from Mutations. Not that I dislike that song, but there is something about its sincerity than never set well with me. It is something in the quality of his voice. For so long, the grandson of the Fluxus artist was doing a bit that everything sounds like a bit to me. Nobody's Fault - a genre exercise in having feelings - was fine, because it was one collage piece among many. Sea Change is wearying though. Say you're postmodern enough and no one will believe it when you bare your soul. Or I don't anyway. This collage is made largely from Nick Drake albums cut up and arranged in such a way that you don't see the joins. Indeed, the best sounding element of the album is the sample from Serge Gainsbourg, a chink in the singer-songwriter veneer. I like Beck and I don't want him to be sad. I also want to believe him when he's expressing himself and it is the voice more than anything that stops me. He did used to sing it funny, but the wind rather than the sea changed and his voice got stuck that way. 1.5 There is a settled consensus on Beck’s Sea Change which has it as his best album; ‘Beck’s Blood on the Tracks’ seems to be a very common tag in critical accounts of it. Well I love the 3 studio albums that Beck made that precede Sea Change and I love Blood on the Tracks too. So naturally I hate Sea Change. I have tried many times with Sea Change - I bought it the day it came out, puzzled over my dislike of it over many listens since and I tried again this weekend. It’s a dreadful album and how anyone can love it and call it his best work is astonishing to me. It is, no doubt, the sound of a certain type of heartbreak but the prevailing character is not of pained recollection or confession - it is of emotional and creative numbness. Dylan explored his pain obliquely, inventing characters and rambling scenarios (Tangled Up in Blue, Idiot Wind, Shelter from the Storm) and with considerable lightness of touch (would anyone accuse even You’re a Big Girl Now or If You See Her Say Hello of wallowing?). Beck has none of that. Every track on Sea Change conveys a dazed self-absorption in maudlin cliché. ‘These days I barely get by/ I don't even try’ (Golden Age) Lonesome tears I can't cry them anymore I can't think of what they're for Oh, they ruin me every time (Lonesome Tears) I’ve seen the end of the day come too soon/ Not a lot to say, not a lot to do (The End of the Day) ‘It feels like I'm watching something die’ (Already Dead) Aye me too Beck. But let’s set that all aside for a minute because truthfully a comparison between Blood on the Tracks and almost any other album ever made is very unfair. Wouldn’t it be more just to compare it to some of Beck‘s previous albums? Well unfortunately for Sea Change those albums are bloody fantastic as well. When I think of Odelay, Mutations and Midnite Vultures - they had merely absurd (and funny) lyrics most of the time but my goodness the musical inspiration that just cascades out at you; effortless and fearless and so rich with what must have been spontaneous ideas that you have to laugh. That’s all gone on Sea Change. So is the sense of musicians playing in a room that makes Mutations so gripping. Sea Change feels like it was made in parts; it feels cleaner, airless, more figured out and yet much less inspired - ‘clinical’ is probably the word I am looking for. Listen to the guitars on Dead Melodies then listen to Lost Cause; listen to the guitar on Sing it Again then put on Already Dead. Something has died indeed. This effect is not aided by the addition of the pompous melodrama of the string parts; I find Lonesome Tears embarrassing to listen to. This is the sound of an artist and his band and his producer (exactly the same crew that made Mutations and Midnite Vultures mind!!) polishing mundane songs and mundane musical ideas to death. Death. Fuck it, let’s return unjustly to Blood on the Tracks. Despite a death-y title, Dylan’s album is actually about life, where loss is a part of it. Beck’s album, it seems to me, is merely about being dead. His lyrics are dead, his sense of humour dead, his musical playfulness, even his singing voice, dead. The band, when they arrive halfway through ‘It’s All in Your Mind’ sound like they want to be dead if they aren’t there already. This album is one mechanical dirge after another. Music that is made not by humans in communication but as a result of a mechanism being wound. To me it represents, more or less, the end of Beck artistically - though plenty of people will disagree as they do with Sea Change. When he returned with Guero a few years after this, trying desperately to relocate his Beckiness, it just wasn’t the same. Guero is actually a much more difficult album for the coroner’s table because on the surface it does do all the things that Sea Change doesn’t - it has energy, variety and humour - but somehow it is almost as creatively empty. I have done a lot of complaining here but I should reemphasise at the end that Odelay, Midnite Vultures and especially Mutations are albums that I love and will always have very high regard for. I hate Sea Change but I love Beck. While I am disgusted that the world chose to anoint Sea Change rather than reject it I don’t blame Beck for making it; he obviously couldn’t make anything else at this particular time. ‘Life is sad; life is a bust/ All you can do is do what you must’ (Bob Dylan, Buckets of Rain) 1/5
Chiant et pompeux
own
I wish they'd stop letting Beck make music. He's the Jared Letto of the music world. Who is enjoying this? Who keeps letting him make stuff? What pact with the devil was made to enable this and how do I make a pact to cancel this out?
Great album even if it's not as unique sounding as a lot of his over albums.
could i write poetry to this? maybe
There's no such thing as a "bad" Beck album. Even his oddball debut, "Stereopathetic Soulmanure", shows signs of brilliance between the barely listenable noise-collage tracks. This is a great breakup concept album, ranking up there with "Blood on the Tracks" and "In the Wee Small Hours." However, Beck's Grammy-winning "Morning Phase" is an even better example of a "Sad Beck" record.
This is my favorite Beck album
At first I thought I was really going to dig sadboy Beck, but it all just kinda sounded the same to me. It was pleasant to have on in the background, though.
This one definitely gets better with multiple listens. I wish there was a little more variety, but I appreciate Beck writing actual lyrics and avoiding the weirdness for weirdness sake that can make his music a tough listen.
Never listened to a Beck album before. Or any Beck really. Was really surprised at how good this was. Very sad + moving lyrics. Apparently, this album is out of the norm for him, historically speaking. I am now wondering what his work before and after this sounds like
Perhaps Beck's greatest album.
Really enjoyed this album. Fantastic country-tinged folk with some slight weirdness you'd expect from Beck. Spacey, dark at times, and beautiful. Definitely wasn't expecting an earnest folk album from Beck given his previous output, but it's welcome. Playlisted Lost Cause, Already Dead, and Little One (weirdly that ones giving me Nirvana vibes. Like if Cobain made a folk song). Paper Tiger is probably the weakest track on the record, but that won't stop me from giving this full marks. Overall, impressed by this record. Edit: Thinking back on this one, while still fantastic, I don't really find myself going back to it. Think it'll fit better as a 4.
such a sad breakup album. reminds me of grace by jeff buckly. very subdued and deserving of dissecting of its lyrical contents. the music is subdued as well compared to the hits i’ve heard from beck as well. would love to revisit this when i’m in the headspace for it.
This is definitely not "two turn-tables and a microphone " Beck. There is definitely a lot of singer-songwriter vibes, and the SFX are there for sure. I found it boring though. I had to stop half way through to do something, and debated not finishing, but pushed through.
NOTE: please wear headphones with this album There are so many subtleties in this album that can easily be missed. By all means, this album could have been a folk/singer/songwriter type of album, and in some ways it kind of is. But the instrumentation and SFX in some songs make it really unique and interesting. Often times, there are multiple guitars going on in each ear that are incredibly pleasing to listen to. Like I said, most of these songs could have probably been guitar chords and Beck singing, but there are added strings, added lead guitar riffs, added little elements here and there that make it more interested than most, and I can appreciate the effort put into these songs from Beck.
Alibaba radiohead
☀︎il prononce ses mots comme moi après m’être fait enlever mes dents de sagesse ☀︎what’s up avec la dépression ces derniers temps? est-ce que le générateur a accès à la météo d’où je suis? en tout cas ça s’agence bien avec la pluie
What the flip? This is so strange, if you covered up the name of the artist, I never would have guessed this was Beck. That's not to say its bad, by any means. One of my favorite things is when an artist tries a genre outside their wheelhouse, or what they're primarily known for. Lyrically, the Beckster has always been pretty creative and grabs you, and the exploration of musical instruments is strange coming from him, but the tonal shifts in here help and hinder it. It overall feels on the depressing side, although considering he was also dealing with depression following a tough breakup, it tracks. Paper Tiger was a downer that kinda kept that vibe the whole way through. Guess I'm Doing Fine also could've been a Pearl Jam song, its cool to hear Beck stretch his vocals like this. The whole thing is just a little too foreboding and depressing overall for my tastes, but I gotta give the guy credit for putting his feelings out there like this.
An interesting change for Beck, not at all what I was expecting. I enjoyed it but it’s pretty forgettable all in all. The orchestral stuff sounds nice though!
So good. One of my very favs
I'm seven tracks in and this is very disappointing, especially after the two previous Beck albums I'd listened to were so much better than I expected. This is morose, almost to the point that I had to remove sharp objects from my immediate environment. It seems this album was made after he broke up with a long-term girlfriend, so I get the sentiment, but fuck me lad - chin up, life goes on. There has not been one moment of joy on the whole album yet. I really don't want to give it one star, as it's not on that level. I'll just have to suck it up and force myself to listen to the last five tracks so I can, potentially, give it two stars!
It's rare that I don't love a Beck album (although, his newer stuff isn't so great)... Fun fact, I didn't like "Loser" when it came out.
3+
I really liked this album, it has lovely guitar passages, great singing by Beck, and it just feels so personal and vulnerable. I also loved the production, mixing folk with more experimental sounds finding a great balance. "Lost Cause" is the obvious standout.
Balanserar på gränsen mellan trött och fenomenalt, känns ibland som en tidig manlig version av Lana Del Rey, och det kan ju obv inte vara dåligt. Perfekt vibe!
Alltid gillat Jocke Berg
Very atmospheric. Easy to listen to, but not extremely memorable.
Not something I would normally listen to but kinda dug the sorrow and sadness to it!!
This is the most 2002 of albums. Any one of these songs could have been plopped into garden state. At first I felt like, hey, I can dig this sad sad droning. But then...it kept going...and going. It was relentless drone.
I was surprised by this- it didnt sound like the Beck I am used to. More soft-rock influenced. Pleasant but no real standouts
I've always loved Beck, and I don't dislike this album, but it is not my favorite. His high-energy hip-hop-inspired music from previous albums appeals to me more. That said, the melancholy tone of this album is still enjoyable.
Pet fav song: Round the Bend This is a nice album that is about 15 mins too long. Can no one edit anything? It wasn't a slog but you feel like some of the songs bleed together.
As a piece of work that aims for melancholy, melodic and morose Beck hits his mark.
8/10
6/10
plaat voorbij? huh? ik was in slaap gevallen... wel goeie plaat daarvoor
Radioheadesque
I like Beck, but this was too melancholy for me
A little tiresome.
Not my favourite. Found it a bit boring.
Kinda Radiohead-y but minus the interesting musicianship. Way too sad for lawn mowing
This is an album full of mellow, melancholy songs recorded just after 9/11/2001. For me the record started out great but lost steam after that. Still, it was decent enough for a three star rating.
Somehow, I have the stereotype that liking Beck is kind of an annoying trait. But I didn't hate this. All of the songs are like: "I'm a bit mopey, here's a sad song, look at the moon? I think I will." Basically like 'Bitter Tears' from the Magnetic Fields, but a whole album of it (there's even a song called 'Lonesome Tears'!). He's got a little bit of that Alexi Murdoch/Nick Drake voice, especially on 'It's All in Your Mind'. Certainly more my speed than the other Beck stuff I've heard. Highlights: 'Lost Cause', 'Already Dead'