Oceans and Diamonds4 Out Of 5 Stars
When Beck released his masterstroke of moodiness, "Sea Change," it was lauded as a real downer of a break-up album...and one of his best. It's ground he's studiously avoided since - until now. Like that album's older and wiser brother, "Morning Phase" finds Beck picking up the acoustic guitar and moody atmospherics. It's not the cathartic bummer uplift that "Sea Change" was, but it is a darn good California folk-rock album.
In addition, you can also add Nick Drake, one of the few masters of the art of dark folk, as one of the influences. Beautifully ethereal and strong on melody, "Blackbird Chain" and "Blue Moon" fall into this realm, with "Blue Moon" starting off with a brooding ""I'm so tired of being alone, these penitent walls are all I've known." The choruses are layered with echoed spaciness, while Beck keeps trying to call his beloved back. The string heavy "Wave" (which he performed on SNL) leans heavily on atmospherics. Without the use of any percussion, it's just Beck's voice and plenty of sonic watercolors. It's really quite lovely, even as its ending finds Beck crying "Isolation, isolation..."
"Morning Phase" shows just how much Beck can get away with. It took him six years from the lukewarm "Modern Guilt" to do the soul searching he's doing here. Like "Sea Change," the impact is not immediate, but it is one that sinks in and leaves a lasting impression. He's long moved beyond the hipster cache of "Loser" and can now find the beauty old fashioned sounds of banjos and ukeleles. It's a good thing, because after all these years and plenty of maturity, "Morning Phase," with all of its private mellow gold, shows that Beck is still capable of throwing a wonderful curve ball.
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