It’s a hefty task writing a review for an album already called the album of the year before it has been released, though I’ll try. First off, pay no attention to anything you have read about this album saying Beck has reinvented himself. He has not. What are all these album reviewers referring to then? Well, Sea Change, Mr. Beck Hansen’s 7th album, features some of the most straightforward, to-the-point material he has ever written. Like 1998’s Mutations, Sea Change was produced by Nigel Godrich and features acoustic-based songs with high-quality sounding production. That is where the similarities stop with Mutations though. Whereas that album featured everything from bossa nova to blues, Sea Change finds Beck staying pretty faithful to the ‘70s singer/songwriter mode, with little genre hopping if any. Some of the terms being tossed around are “sad,” “introspective,” and this being a “breakup album.” Sea Change is much more than this though. The work herein is truly beautiful and marks some of the most crafted and sophisticated songs he has written. As I said, this is no reinvention. Sad, lonely, down-about-girls Beck has been seen before (i.e. “Nobody’s Fault But My Own,” “Girl Dreams,” “Puttin’ It Down,” etc). It is with the straightforwardness of these songs that the first of two complaints I’ve heard about this album arise. One, I’ve heard grumblings that Beck is too serious on this album. Frankly, if you expect anything from Beck, whether that is a certain sound, amount of genre hopping, or lack of seriousness, well you can eat it. The second and more vocal complaint I’ve heard is that it is too produced. Sure, I would like to hear these songs stripped down too, but that doesn’t change the fact that the songs are amazing how they are. Take “It’s All In Your Mind” for example. You can hear it stripped down on the Bridge School Concerts compilation. Does it sound any better than the new version? No, it’s just as good. I don’t necessarily like the production of “Paper Tiger,” but “Lonesome Tears,” the saddest and one of my favorite tracks, would be much worse without the production. The point is that there isn’t much room for complaint on Sea Change if you ask me. I’m not as bold enough as some to say that this is Beck’s best album. With someone like Beck, I don’t think he could have a best or defining album. I will say this though. This is the album of the year. Yes, it deserved 5 stars in Rolling Stone. It deserves all the hype. Sea Change is a masterpiece, and I am sorry for you if you won’t let yourself realize it.

- Mark Shelley