Beck: Guero

Do you remember where you were when you first learned about Beck? I do.

Pickering Jr. High School, Lynn, Ma. 8th grade. My friend could not stop singing the "Get crazy with the cheez whiz" line from "Loser," and that was it. I was introduced to the artist known as Beck.

It's an interesting way to learn about someone, sure. But he didn't disappoint. His many works have shown us the good (and bad) he's capable of. Which is why I bought this album. I figured the odds were in his favour for something good again.

I wish that had been so.

Don't get me wrong, though, the album starts out very strong.

The lead off track, E-Pro, had a music video to go with it's nice rocking sound that was wholly Beck. After the opening track, I felt the album stayed strong halfway through; First 7 tracks are good stuff, a cross between some standard pop-rock sounds (Girl, Black Tambourine) and tunes spanning other genres (Hell Yes has hip-hop flavouring, while something in Earthquake Weather makes me think 70s pop).

Beck loses his cohesion, however, after that, and it just doesn't work. Tunes like Farewell Ride and Emergency Exit aren't necessarily bad cuts, just don't feel like they belong.

In the end: Beck fans will most assuredly love this album. Casual listeners will definitely enjoy much of the first half of the album, but will probably lose interest later on. If you can justify buying an album for only 6 or 7 of its 13 tracks, then pick this up.