A Week in Hyperspace
Last weekend, I bought Beck’s latest, Hyperspace. I promptly listened to it, and I can admit without shame that my first listen felt… very anti-climatic. It’s true: I didn’t know if I liked it. My knee-jerk reaction was, “this isn’t Beck”. And then I listened to it again. And again. And it hit me: Every time I’ve listened to a Beck album for the first time, I always think it’s just not right because it’s not him.
This is Beck’s M.O.: He keeps a toe (or in some cases, a foot) in the familiar and dares to dip the other into something totally different, experimental and outside our comfort zone. I say ‘our’ because Beck seems willing and able to go just about anywhere musically, while we tend to marry certain songs or albums in his catalog.
Me? I was married to Morning Phase. And The Information. And Colors. And Guero. And Midnite Vultures. I am definitely a fan of his melodic and euphoric work, and I enjoy his quirky adventures into ridiculousness, a la “Wow”, “Hollywood Freaks” and of course, “Where It’s At”. I love his rough and raw expression, and the distinct old soul quality of his voice. It’s like he’s sang about everything before, but it still feels fresh.
Enter Hyperspace. The sweeping epicness? Nice. The overly-autotuned effect? Not so much. Contemporary rapping and hiphop-ish beats? Umm, really? I don’t know about this. “See Through”. Yeah, this just doesn’t feel right. It feels too on-trend, too compulsory.
But oh, “Stratosphere” and “Dark Places” and “Star”: That triad of songs is divine. The third is such a throwback; a cross between something on Modern Guilt and Midnite Vultures. And “Saw Lightning”? I kind of (and it pains me to write this) almost hated it when I first heard it. The repetitiveness of those loud noises was obnoxious and did nothing to draw me in to what’s actually a fantastically brilliant tune. So when I finally listened to it with headphones, and listened to those lyrics, I suddenly got it. And I fell in love. And it’s officially my most-listened to track on the album (for the moment). I am currently listening to it over and over on my long runs. It's definitely energetic and uppity Beck at his best.
And “Chemical”. My goodness, what a great sweeping synth piece. Those retro sounds, that gorgeous acoustic arrangement, the shuffling percussion, Beck’s glissando vocals! It all creates this euphoric and dreamy and optimistic treat.
The song that stood out to me as brilliant from the first listen? “Everlasting Nothing”. Maybe it’s the encouraging lyrics (“nowhere child, keep on running, in your time you’ll find something”). Maybe it’s the rousing gospel-tinged chorus. Maybe it’s that classic folk-Beck we all know and love. Maybe it’s the hummable melody. Whatever it is, I loved this from the moment I heard it. It’s so familiar, so affecting, so raw and real. And comfortably Beck.
After a week with it, I can safely say “Hyperspace” has won me over. Even the on-trend stuff. Beck is just too good at what he does. His meticulous attention to detail means he can make anything sound fantastic. Like almost every other Beck album before it, I had an about-face several listens in and fell madly in love with Hyperspace. Yes, even “See Through” is a welcome chill adventure. And “Die Waiting” is enjoyable, even if it is a more conventional pop track.
Solid, Beck. After all these years and everything you’ve done, these lyrics (some of my favorites) still hold up, are still relevant and incredibly accurate. “A little worse for wear, but I’m wearing it well.”
This is Beck’s M.O.: He keeps a toe (or in some cases, a foot) in the familiar and dares to dip the other into something totally different, experimental and outside our comfort zone. I say ‘our’ because Beck seems willing and able to go just about anywhere musically, while we tend to marry certain songs or albums in his catalog.
Me? I was married to Morning Phase. And The Information. And Colors. And Guero. And Midnite Vultures. I am definitely a fan of his melodic and euphoric work, and I enjoy his quirky adventures into ridiculousness, a la “Wow”, “Hollywood Freaks” and of course, “Where It’s At”. I love his rough and raw expression, and the distinct old soul quality of his voice. It’s like he’s sang about everything before, but it still feels fresh.
Enter Hyperspace. The sweeping epicness? Nice. The overly-autotuned effect? Not so much. Contemporary rapping and hiphop-ish beats? Umm, really? I don’t know about this. “See Through”. Yeah, this just doesn’t feel right. It feels too on-trend, too compulsory.
But oh, “Stratosphere” and “Dark Places” and “Star”: That triad of songs is divine. The third is such a throwback; a cross between something on Modern Guilt and Midnite Vultures. And “Saw Lightning”? I kind of (and it pains me to write this) almost hated it when I first heard it. The repetitiveness of those loud noises was obnoxious and did nothing to draw me in to what’s actually a fantastically brilliant tune. So when I finally listened to it with headphones, and listened to those lyrics, I suddenly got it. And I fell in love. And it’s officially my most-listened to track on the album (for the moment). I am currently listening to it over and over on my long runs. It's definitely energetic and uppity Beck at his best.
And “Chemical”. My goodness, what a great sweeping synth piece. Those retro sounds, that gorgeous acoustic arrangement, the shuffling percussion, Beck’s glissando vocals! It all creates this euphoric and dreamy and optimistic treat.
The song that stood out to me as brilliant from the first listen? “Everlasting Nothing”. Maybe it’s the encouraging lyrics (“nowhere child, keep on running, in your time you’ll find something”). Maybe it’s the rousing gospel-tinged chorus. Maybe it’s that classic folk-Beck we all know and love. Maybe it’s the hummable melody. Whatever it is, I loved this from the moment I heard it. It’s so familiar, so affecting, so raw and real. And comfortably Beck.
After a week with it, I can safely say “Hyperspace” has won me over. Even the on-trend stuff. Beck is just too good at what he does. His meticulous attention to detail means he can make anything sound fantastic. Like almost every other Beck album before it, I had an about-face several listens in and fell madly in love with Hyperspace. Yes, even “See Through” is a welcome chill adventure. And “Die Waiting” is enjoyable, even if it is a more conventional pop track.
Solid, Beck. After all these years and everything you’ve done, these lyrics (some of my favorites) still hold up, are still relevant and incredibly accurate. “A little worse for wear, but I’m wearing it well.”
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