Beck
Mutations

The creative workshop of Beck Hansen knows no limits in his sonic deconstructions, not even after the wonderful sui generis mess of 'Odelay'.

The disordered miniatures of previous works find a more studied and heartfelt dimension in this fifth chapter, characterized by typical Beckian insights suspended on an unusual and decidedly fascinating singer-songwriter style, now played on slow harmonic digressions of broad emotional scope. Songs in slight "mutation" in their essence, arranged with the help of the infallible Nigel Godrich who allows greater melodic readability in the artist's quirks, anticipating the melancholic and poetic vein that would lead to the artistic success of 'Sea Change'.

The taste for freely modulating different styles is well present throughout the 13 tracks of Mutations: a wah-wah guitar in the awkward Cold Brains, the inserts of the sitar in the psychedelic garden of Nobody's Fault but My Own, the Syd Barrett-like temptations in the fluttering Lazy Flies, the romantic glimmers of We Live Again, the Brazilian extravagance of Tropicalia, the electro-acoustic inserts in Bottle of Blues, the retro atmospheres of O Maria and other (un)veiled delights like the air gathered around the arpeggiated sunsets of Dead Melodies and Sing It Again; above all, the sweetness of Static stands out, nostalgic and captivating at the same time, a pop ballad that immediately strikes with its great interpretative effectiveness.

But the 3 minutes of Canceled Check have an incredible instrumental setup: on a sly melody follow a vaudeville piano, a country guitar, a folk harmonica, an orchestral trumpet, which suddenly stop in the last minute when unpredictable noises and various disturbances arise.

Another memorable episode is the post-lysergic delirium of Diamond Bollocks, 6 minutes totally detached from the context to upend the listener's expectations: on the basis of a classical keyboard, a furious rhythm section emerges followed by disorienting ideas, including bird chirping (could it be a tribute to Pink Floyd?) and a sinisterly progressive finale. It seems the ideal conclusion to the album, but Beck never ceases to amaze; with the following Runners Dial Zero he takes us into claustrophobic, icy, and apocalyptic settings, strong with a crumbling sound, dark piano, and cynical voice.

As early as Mutations, Beck has demonstrated knowing how to go beyond his ability to repaint genres, if there is an album that acts as a watershed between the first and second careers of our artist, it is certainly this one. As refined as it is enjoyable.