Morning Phase is Beck’s first album in six years and is a companion piece to Beck’s 2002 album, Sea Change. This record features the same musicians as Sea Change and many of the same musical qualities: gorgeous harmonies, country-influenced instrumentation, melancholy melodies, and hard-hitting emotionalism. As a Beck fanboy, I absolutely love this album, but I can see where people would have issues with it.
The songwriting isn’t as hard hitting on this record as compared to Sea Change, and a lot of the songs feel like b-sides taken from the Sea Change sessions. Although with this being said, b-sides from the sessions where one of the greatest albums ever created (woah bias alert) have to be great.
Beck is also working on another new album slated to come out this year that apparently follows the more experimental and electronic paths of the singles he released in the summer of 2013. He also has confirmed that he has been working with Pharrell on the album as well. Personally I think Pharrell being the artist of the moment has ended, but if Beck wants to continue the hype train into this summer, I guess that’ll work with me.
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** = Recommended
| 1. | “Cycle” | |
| 2. | “Morning” ** | |
| 3. | “Heart Is a Drum” ** | |
| 4. | “Say Goodbye” ** | |
| 5. | “Blue Moon” ** | |
| 6. | “Unforgiven” | |
| 7. | “Wave” ** | |
| 8. | “Don’t Let It Go” | |
| 9. | “Blackbird Chain” ** | |
| 10. | “Phase” | |
| 11. | “Turn Away” ** | |
| 12. | “Country Down” | |
| 13. | “Waking Light” ** | |