Beck's back, and he's traded in his acoustic guitar for turntables.
For Guero the multi-platinum ingenue left behind the orchestra-tinged folk of Sea Change, and reteamed with the Dust Brothers, producers of his 1996 masterpiece Odelay.
Guero, slang for "white boy," occasionally brings back the beat-filled and semi-rapping Beck Hansen made famous by mid-90s hits, "Where It's At" and "Devil's Haircut." But it also proves you can never go back - even if you're a rock star.
The latest album's first two tracks, "E-Pro" and "Que Onda Guero," might lead you to believe Beck has returned to the fun, joke-filled style that defined his career before the gloominess of 2002's Sea Change.
Those early tracks' bouncing beats and good humor quickly give way to the darker core of the album, the tribal "Black Tambourine." Other instruments include harmonica, slide guitar and bass on "Scarecrow" and "Farewell Ride" and the grinding electric guitar and handclaps on "Rental Car."
"Go It Alone" could have been a White Stripes track and, in fact, features Jack White laying down a quality bass line between Beck's "na na na" choruses.
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Though most of the songs are lighter than Beck's recent work, the lyrics constantly evoke death and regret, loneliness and setting suns. Even techno vocals on "Hell Yes" and samples from artists as varied as the Beastie Boys and the Temptations can't overcome the shadow that maturity cast over the musician we once knew as a teenager singing about pantyhose, termites and being a loser.
The Dust Brothers' production is markedly more gritty and bluesy than most of Odelay, and Beck is aware of the irreversible evolution he's undergone
He's too skilled a musician to try to fake or force a duplication of Odelay. Instead, he combines the old instruments and beats with his more mature perspective and mood, creating a unique sound and a fine album.
While certainly not as catchy as his previous work and mostly unfit as background music for a party, Guero is worth owning, especially for those longtime fans able to appreciate the evolution the album represents.
If you're a Beck fan or if you like albums with extras, spring the extra couple of bucks for the deluxe edition, which features an interactive DVD of remixes and tracks that were certainly good enough to be on the album itself.
Guero
Beck
Grade: B+
