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Rating: Beck is an artist in constant evolution who uses the musical language to experiment with new communicative methods, as demonstrated by his albums that are always stylistically different yet united by a common denominator which is Mr. Hansen's eclecticism.
He left us with the mediocre "The Information" which, although it showed some glimpses of light, conveyed a sense of heaviness due to some not-so-accurate choices (see the final suite). However, now, mindful of his mistakes, he has called upon Danger Mouse (half of Gnarls Barkley), minimized his sound even more, and reclaimed that 60s vintage that was so in vogue in 2008. The influences are there and many, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Crosby, Still, Nash & Young, and on first listen, you cannot help but notice a change in the vocal melodies, some so close to grunge, others much darker and distant from certain canons of today's pop as if to underscore the dramatic change in sound.
Change of producer, style, harmonies, and melodies; "then this album is a masterpiece," you might say! Not exactly, ON THE CONTRARY...
Unfortunately, the fact of not having singles resulted in the "acedia" effect. The album is flat, and the initial enthusiasm will begin to wane in the second part of the album, making way for yawns and various distractions; by the time you reach "Volcano" (the last track), you'll feel an emptiness, as if the album slipped over you without permeating your soul in the slightest.
To save are two or three tracks, like the title-track, boasting a great riff and a compelling groove (No one knows docet!!) and "Chemtrails", a ballad in pure 70s style complete with reprise and final guitar-solo.
What can I say, "a good horse is not seen from the initial sprint but over the long distance," and Mr. Hansen staggers between the brilliance of the early Beck (initial sprint) and these missteps without rhyme or reason (long distance)... what to say, after Nigel "Radiohead" Godrich, even Danger Mouse will be benched... who will be next!!!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Chemtrails (04:40)
I can't believe what we've seen outside
You and me watching the jets go by
Oh, Oooh, Oh
Oh, Oooh, Oh
Drown by sea, so many people've already drowned
You and me watching a sea full of people
Try not to drown
So many people, so many people
Where do they go?
You and me watching a sky
Full of chemtrails
That's where we belong
All I can take from these skies is hope
But all I can see in this light are boats
Sinking
Oh, Oooh, Oh
Oh, Oooh, Oh
Down by the sea swallowed by evil
They've already drowned
You and me watching a sea of people
Already drowned
So many people, so many people
Where do they go?
You and me hit by a test of white evil rain
Watching the jet planes go by
You and me watching
You and me watching
The chemtrails is where we belong
That's where we'll be when we die in the slipstream
We'll climb in a hole in the sky
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By GustavoTanz
David Beck Hansen is a genius, a master.
"Chemtrails." Genre? New wave? Noise rock? You judge... those light piano notes combined with a pounding drum are one of Hansen’s best ideas for this CD.
