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Beck Sea Change Average Rating: 
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| Customer Reviews 1-5 of 490 | NEXT >> |
2008-10-07Buried in most of Beck's music is actual ability to write songs and melody, once you strip away all those loops and trickery, songs are buried under there. Sea Change brings all this to the front with perhpas one of the best breakup albums ever written, and I say this owning albums going back 40 years and over 8,000 songs in my iTunes library. Sea Change never feels old, never feels dated, and is a briliant late night album to put on and just ponder. I'd give it six stars if I could, it's that good.
2008-09-10Sea Change marks Beck going into a terriory some people probably would have never expected. Beck drops everything that made him loved (and hated): The tendancies to cram a gazillion styles into one song, his nonsensiclay lyrics, the quirky and irony style (and gimmick, for some times of it), and so on (granted, I don't exactly love this). IT's his most real album to date, an album with a lot of meaning. A real album detailing a hard time, like music should be. Catharis for Beck. A recipe for some great, emotional music.
So why the three stars? Simple, it's not that intresting to listen to. Beck, as usual, has a lot of trouble pulling off the folk/country/mellow side of him. He makes an intresting attempt to pull of some sentimential lyrics, and I respect him for writing love songs concidering that his ten year girlfriend broke up with him harshly. It's a real album. But beside that, it's not that intresting to listen to. Just the same old unintresting folk sound of Beck. IT sounds a lot better than Mellow Gold, it has some intresting parts, but on the whole, it's just not that memorable for me. Maybe next time.
6.5/10
2008-09-04I never really liked Beck's music prior to Sea Change. His music just didnt resonate with me. It may have been fairly creative and orginal, but it was seriously lacking in warmth. Too much style and too little substace. Lost Cause, the first single off the album, suprised me, since it was much more of a folky singer / songwriter type of song. So I took a chance and bought Sea Change - a good descision. It's a beautiful peice of work that flows very nicely indeed, with tasteful production by Nigel Godrich (Air). I first bought it on cd and recently bought it on vinyl, too.
2008-09-03Who'd have thought it? Beck Hansen, the onetime ironic champion of ironic trash culture, has grown up. The Beck we see here eschews sampling and sarcasm entirely, and doesnt rap at all. Instead, the backing tracks are warm, and lush, and Beck switches from rapping to crooning in a gentle baritone inspired by Nick Drake. There's often an orchestra, but it never overwhelms the main focus: the lyrics. It's a breakup record, and it's the most genuine thing Beck ever put out. He doesnt do any screwing around, he doesnt once try to display how clever he is. He just sings from his heart for fifty minutes or so, and the result is the best record Beck ever made. I know most prefer Odelay and Mutations, but I think this bests either of them. It's a very melodic, haunting, gorgeous record. The string arangements are inspired ("Paper Tiger," "Lonesome Tears"), the singing is much better than it ever was ("Guess I'm Doing Fine," probably the most emotional song Beck's ever released; "Lost Cause"), and the lyrics are dead earnest, heartbroken, and much better than any others he's ever done ("Golden Age"). There is also some excelllent production supplements scattered about, including prominant electric piano on "End of the Day" and odd sound effects that fit completely with the album's somber tone everywhere. Even lesser songs like "It's All in Your Head" have likeable touches such as stand-up bass. The best song is probably the eerie, spacey mood peice "Round the Bend," though it's also hard to argue with "Lost Cause" and "Guess I'm Doing Fine". He also gets points for using elements of the Far East in his vocals and guitar tone on "Already Dead", which demonstrates quite an able falsetto as well. He even works in some wary, cautious optomism into the chorus of "Sunday Sun," which has a U2/Coldplay style chord progression and an abrasive ending. A bit more varity would've helped the record, as it closes with two good but disappointing acoustic ballads ("Little One," "Side of the Road"), but as it stands this is as good as I've heard from Beck.
2008-08-15If you are the kind of guy that likes music equal measures Dylan and Drake, don't mind a little grit mixed in with your smooth, and know what it means to be knocked out and unable to breathe when someone you love leaves you...well, then you will have an inkling about what kind of music Beck makes on this album, and very likely, you will love it. This is simpley the most elegantly heartbreaking break-up album by one of the most eloquent songwriters of our time. The miracle and beauty of the album is that nothing sounds fake, precious, or pretentious--simpley honest and lovely. Beck doesnt shy away from the places that hurt when he writes. He walks right up to the bruises and pokes them. It hurts, but at least he knows that he can still feel. I hope he's doing fine.
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| Editorial Review |
Japanese only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD - playable on all CD players) pressing. Includes the Japanese only bonus track, 'Ship in a Bottle'. Universal. 2008.
If you like "Sea Change", you might also like ...
|
Mutations |
Modern Guilt |
Odelay |
Guero |
Midnite Vultures |
