Beck — Hyperspace (Nov. 22nd, 2019)
♦♣♦ Beck promění každou skladbu do něčeho bezpochyby svého vlastního. Vytváří vzácnou soudržnost z velmi různorodých materiálů. „Hyperspace“ může posunout Beckovu zvukovou paletu ještě více a dále do hip~hopového teritoria, protože obsahuje rozsáhlé společné psaní a koprodukci od Pharrella Williamse, který přispěl ke třem dosud vydaným singlům. (Mezi další spolupracovníky patří Sky Ferreira, Chris Martin, Terrell Hines a Paul Epworth.) Bude to Beckovo první studiové album od roku 2017 „Colours“, které získalo cenu Best Alternative Music Album a Best Engineered Album, Non~Classical na 61. Grammy Awards. K oznámení o albu jsou připojeny dva singly: „Hyperlife“, zářící skupina syntetizátorů + vířivých vokálů a „Uneventful Days“, sirupová petarda deštného pralesa. Dvojice písní se tedy naprosto liší, ale obě jsou nějakým způsobem Beckovou ochrannou známkou, což svědčí o rozsáhlém soundu alba. („Saw Lightning“, které vyšlo v dubnu, je také na albu.)
♦♣♦ Pre~previous album “Morning Phase” peaked at #1 in Mojo from 50 Best Albums of 2014..., 19y old album “Mutations” (1998) peaked at #13 in the US, going gold, and achieved #24 in the UK and #23 in Australia (for example). As of July 2008, Mutations has sold 586,000 copies in the United States. One of the most inventive, eclectic figures of the alternative era, the epitome of postmodern chic in an era obsessed with junk culture.
Birth name: Bek David Campbell
Born: July 8, 1970, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Instruments: Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, harmonica, percussion, sitar, banjo, slide guitar, twelve~string guitar, glockenspiel, vocoder, kalimba, melodica, beatboxin
Location: LA/CA
Album release: November 22nd, 2019
Recorded: M
Record Label: Fonograf Records / Capitol Records
Duration: 39:12
Tracks:
01 Hyperlife 1:36
02 Uneventful Days 3:17
03 Saw Lightning 4:01
04 Die Waiting 4:04
05 Chemical 4:18
06 See Through 3:38
07 Hyperspace (feat. Terrell Hines) 2:45
08 Stratosphere 3:57
09 Dark Places 3:45
10 Star 2:50
11 Everlasting Nothing 4:59
12. Saw Lightning (Freestyle) 2:18
PRODUCT DETAILS:
♦♣♦ Beck Hyperspace Exclusive Clear 180g Vinyl
+ Instant Grat tracks of “Hyperlife”, “Uneventful Days”, and “Saw Lightning”.
Review
By Alex Hudson
Published Nov 19, 2019, Score: 7
♦♣♦ After a couple of decades of exploratory mutations, Beck has entered the crowd~pleasing phase of his career. His fantastic live shows are all~out parties, and his albums are pleasant if a little predictable: 2014’s Morning Phase was a retread of his folksy classic Sea Change, while 2017’s Colors was full of radio~friendly pop bangers that would probably sound great in a Target commercial.
♦♣♦ And now here’s Hyperspace, an album written and produced largely alongside hit~maker Pharrell Williams. But despite the record’s slick pop sound and star~studded contributor list — Sky Ferreira and Coldplay’s Chris Martin both get vocal credits — it’s a relatively subdued affair. There aren’t any clear bids for radio ubiquity, and the vibe often resembles the toe~tapping melancholy of 2008’s Modern Guilt.
♦♣♦ In lieu of titanic choruses, Hyperspace highlights sublime synth~scapes: “Uneventful Days” adds a splash of Auto~Tune to Beck’s vocals amidst twinkling arpeggiators and stuttering drum machines, while title cut “Hyperspace” juxtaposes acoustic plucking with sci~fi keyboard swells. Aching mid~tempo ballads “Stratosphere” and “Everlasting Nothing” sound like a synth~filled reimagining of Sea Change.
♦♣♦ It certainly isn’t the 49~year~old songwriter’s most urgent or radically inventive work. Rather, it’s a beautifully understated album with subtleties that reveal themselves on repeat listens. Hyperspace isn’t quite what fans would expect from a team~up between Beck and the guy who wrote “Happy,” and it’s better for it.
♦♣♦ https://exclaim.ca/
Website: http://www.beck.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beck
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beck