Beck - Modern Guilt

Modern Guilt (2008, Interscope) Beck's eighth studio album. ****

Produced by the very much acclaimed "Danger Mouse" Burton, Beck's eighth studio album is a step in a new direction; back into the past. While Beck's other outings tend to sound very fresh, fusing several different genres - sometimes even in one song - such as hip-hop and jazz, Modern Guilt sounds distinctly vintage. The opener "Orphans" could pass for a lost Byrds track, and "Gamma Ray" goes on as a very mellow 60's pop tune by the Yardbirds. The odd thing about all this, though, is that the overriding message throughout is focused on global warming, a very real and very now issue. The last thing to add to that is the album's run time, which with ten songs clocks in at a little under thiry-five minutes. It's very lean, very tight, and very monotonous.

While there are some really astounding songs (the experimental "Chemtrails" comes to mind), the few things that hold the album back ultimately are only slightly frustrating. The message is too vague to have any real meaning; it's in no way difficult to tell what Beck is talking about, but nothing is insightful, nothing is frightening, it's merely "We should deal with this shit." The album's pace is also very constant as there are no sudden movements anywhere. It's all very hum-drum and "Gee, shucks"-worthy, but none of the material is bad. In fact, Modern Guilt is a step up from The Information, which found Beck scrambling around without any real clue as to what he should be doing. It's well worth the listen even if you're not a fan; Burton's production is top-notch and the two work much better together than DM with the Black Keys. Modern Guilt doesn't start or end with a bang, but perhaps Beck wanted to imply what Eliot stated, that the world - and this album - ends with a whimper. But what a wonderful whimper it is. (Orphans, Chemtrails)

Review on YouTube: Beck - Modern Guilt