Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Final Grade: B-
This wasn't my favorite record. While Beck's Morning Phase was a well written, cohesive record, said cohesiveness became monotonous for me. Pretty much every song on the record sounded the same. They all had acoustic guitar with layered, ambient vocals, and sometimes strings came in to add some dynamics. Beck's vocal harmonies and the string arrangements were definitely my favorite aspect of the album, they gave a lot of depth for the often simple groove. But I was yearning to be inspired by this Album of the Year, and I didn't get much from it. Not only that, but it didn't seem like anything that was very fresh or new, whereas Beyoncé single-handedly changed the game with Beyoncé. That being said, Morning Phase is still a pleasant, sweet album that I did for the most part enjoy, just not Album of the Year worthy in my book.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Songs of the Day
Final 3 songs up for review today: "Turn Away," "Country Down," and "Waking Light."
"Turn Away" falls right back into the standard vibe of this record: layered, ambient vocals with acoustic guitar that steadily builds. Beck certainly has this formula down. The build, provided by the addition of instruments, has a nice feel to it. There's a subtle darkness to this groove, which I think can mainly be attributed to the play with major and minor going on, which I dig. As always, the string arrangement is very nice, adding a nice texture to the sound. Short and sweet, nothing to go crazy about.
As guessed by the title, "Country Down" has the most down-home country feel to it. This is the only track on the record that doesn't have any vocal effects, which is refreshing. I believe it also helps give it a more country feel, as you're not hearing a lot of country that has the ambient vocals that have been occurring on the rest of the record. And nothing says country like some pedal steel guitar, which I do love. It's a little hokey, but in the endearing, country kind of way. This track could have been a little shorter, it gets a little redundant. Like I've said for the majority of this record, it's a sweet tune, simple, sounds like the rest of the record.
"Waking Light" is a solid way to end the record, it has a finite sound to it that's ideal for ending records. It has all of the elements of the rest of the record: the layered vocals, the instrumental build, strings in the chorus, the whole shebang. Again, the strings help the record a lot, as the provide good dynamics and depth to the track. There's an ethereal feel to the song that's cool, which has a lot to do with the background vocals layered with the strings, it's easy to get lost in. The best part of this song is the build to the end, all of the layers work really well together and they keep you interested in the track. There's a bigger emphasis on the drums than there has been on the rest of the record, and while it certainly helps the build, the drum part itself is could have been much better (it sounds a little mediocre). This is a pretty solid song on its own, but after hearing the same sound for an entire record, it gets a little old. It's all about the build, it saves the day.
"Turn Away" falls right back into the standard vibe of this record: layered, ambient vocals with acoustic guitar that steadily builds. Beck certainly has this formula down. The build, provided by the addition of instruments, has a nice feel to it. There's a subtle darkness to this groove, which I think can mainly be attributed to the play with major and minor going on, which I dig. As always, the string arrangement is very nice, adding a nice texture to the sound. Short and sweet, nothing to go crazy about.
As guessed by the title, "Country Down" has the most down-home country feel to it. This is the only track on the record that doesn't have any vocal effects, which is refreshing. I believe it also helps give it a more country feel, as you're not hearing a lot of country that has the ambient vocals that have been occurring on the rest of the record. And nothing says country like some pedal steel guitar, which I do love. It's a little hokey, but in the endearing, country kind of way. This track could have been a little shorter, it gets a little redundant. Like I've said for the majority of this record, it's a sweet tune, simple, sounds like the rest of the record.
"Waking Light" is a solid way to end the record, it has a finite sound to it that's ideal for ending records. It has all of the elements of the rest of the record: the layered vocals, the instrumental build, strings in the chorus, the whole shebang. Again, the strings help the record a lot, as the provide good dynamics and depth to the track. There's an ethereal feel to the song that's cool, which has a lot to do with the background vocals layered with the strings, it's easy to get lost in. The best part of this song is the build to the end, all of the layers work really well together and they keep you interested in the track. There's a bigger emphasis on the drums than there has been on the rest of the record, and while it certainly helps the build, the drum part itself is could have been much better (it sounds a little mediocre). This is a pretty solid song on its own, but after hearing the same sound for an entire record, it gets a little old. It's all about the build, it saves the day.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Songs of the Day
Tracks 8-10 up for review today: "Don't Let It Go," "Blackbird Chain," and "Phase."
I'm glad that "Don't Let It Go" has given us a chance to hear Beck without the effects. The vocal effects have been nice, but at this point they're a little overdone, so it's nice to hear that sonic break. The layered, ambient vocals return in the chorus, but they a) do sound nice, and b) help tie into the record. The build from guitar & vocals to the full band works really well and provides the track a lot of depth. The vocal layering at the end with "don't let it go," and "don't you see how far it's gone away" is probably my favorite part, and end the track on a very full note. Pretty cool track.
"Blackbird Chain" is another track that I enjoy. Again, Beck's vocals don't have any effects on in the verse, which is appreciated. The vocal harmonies on the hook "blackbird chain" are really nice, he definitely has that down. The groove is almost a little too happy-go-lucky for me (particularly when the piano comes in), but it has a lot of depth to it, which I enjoy. The introduction of steel guitar and strings is nice, gives the track a good build towards the end.
"Phase" is a beautiful all string interlude. All of the strings on this record have been phenomenal, and I always enjoy when they get featured as they had in the opening number, "Cycle." Unlike "Cycle," "Phase" does not go right into the next song, it is its own entity. Short and sweet.
I'm glad that "Don't Let It Go" has given us a chance to hear Beck without the effects. The vocal effects have been nice, but at this point they're a little overdone, so it's nice to hear that sonic break. The layered, ambient vocals return in the chorus, but they a) do sound nice, and b) help tie into the record. The build from guitar & vocals to the full band works really well and provides the track a lot of depth. The vocal layering at the end with "don't let it go," and "don't you see how far it's gone away" is probably my favorite part, and end the track on a very full note. Pretty cool track.
"Blackbird Chain" is another track that I enjoy. Again, Beck's vocals don't have any effects on in the verse, which is appreciated. The vocal harmonies on the hook "blackbird chain" are really nice, he definitely has that down. The groove is almost a little too happy-go-lucky for me (particularly when the piano comes in), but it has a lot of depth to it, which I enjoy. The introduction of steel guitar and strings is nice, gives the track a good build towards the end.
"Phase" is a beautiful all string interlude. All of the strings on this record have been phenomenal, and I always enjoy when they get featured as they had in the opening number, "Cycle." Unlike "Cycle," "Phase" does not go right into the next song, it is its own entity. Short and sweet.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Songs of the Day
Got the next three tracks up for review: "Blue Moon," "Unforgiven," and "Wave."
So we continue on this reviewing journey with "Blue Moon," which certainly goes down the same musical road as its predecessors. I like that this track has a bit of a heavier, not as simple feel as the previous. There's much more dynamics to it, which help make it more memorable than some of the others. It's still simple in its core, but still has plenty of depth to keep you interested. I like the guitar breakdown, adds a nice little something extra. Great vocal harmonies, but at this point that comes as no surprise. This one definitely has the same kind of Flaming Lips vibe that I was feeling in previous tunes. Solid build up to the end. It's a nice track, nothing I find extraordinary, but it's relaxing and easy to listen to.
"Unforgiven" slightly switches up the feel in that it's slower, and the bass is much heavier (which I dig). I like the hook "somewhere unforgiven, time will wait for you," it's got a darkness to it that I like. This track has a bit more of a space-y vibe than the others, which is cool (who doesn't like space?), but at this point the simple groove with ambient vocals thing gets a little old. Not that I don't like it, it's certainly got its place and time, but it would be nice by track 6 to have a bit more of a switch up. String build up at the end is really nice, adding some more texture to a track that is almost too simple. There's not much to really hold onto in this one, but the effects are cool and add a nice fullness to the song. Decent, not my favorite.
The strings on "Wave" are by far my favorite part of the track. They provide a nice depth, and an eeriness that I find intriguing. I also like that they're fuller on this track than previous ones, "Cycle" is the only time thus far that they'd been featured this heavily. The repeated "isolation" lyric is kind creepy, but in a cool way. Again, this is a super simple song, which is nice, but I'm ready for a switch up.
So we continue on this reviewing journey with "Blue Moon," which certainly goes down the same musical road as its predecessors. I like that this track has a bit of a heavier, not as simple feel as the previous. There's much more dynamics to it, which help make it more memorable than some of the others. It's still simple in its core, but still has plenty of depth to keep you interested. I like the guitar breakdown, adds a nice little something extra. Great vocal harmonies, but at this point that comes as no surprise. This one definitely has the same kind of Flaming Lips vibe that I was feeling in previous tunes. Solid build up to the end. It's a nice track, nothing I find extraordinary, but it's relaxing and easy to listen to.
"Unforgiven" slightly switches up the feel in that it's slower, and the bass is much heavier (which I dig). I like the hook "somewhere unforgiven, time will wait for you," it's got a darkness to it that I like. This track has a bit more of a space-y vibe than the others, which is cool (who doesn't like space?), but at this point the simple groove with ambient vocals thing gets a little old. Not that I don't like it, it's certainly got its place and time, but it would be nice by track 6 to have a bit more of a switch up. String build up at the end is really nice, adding some more texture to a track that is almost too simple. There's not much to really hold onto in this one, but the effects are cool and add a nice fullness to the song. Decent, not my favorite.
The strings on "Wave" are by far my favorite part of the track. They provide a nice depth, and an eeriness that I find intriguing. I also like that they're fuller on this track than previous ones, "Cycle" is the only time thus far that they'd been featured this heavily. The repeated "isolation" lyric is kind creepy, but in a cool way. Again, this is a super simple song, which is nice, but I'm ready for a switch up.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Songs of the Day
Today's tracks up for review are numbers 1-4: "Cycle," "Morning," "Heart Is A Drum," and "Say Goodbye."
Morning Phase begins with a very sweet string intro, "Cycle." There's a great depth to it that pulls you in. It's only forty seconds, going right into the preceding song, but it does exactly what an intro is supposed to do and gets you excited for the record.
The transition into "Morning" is seamless as they are part of one another, and it has a great effect. What I think I like most about this track are the swells in dynamics, they have a wave-like quality to them that I find very relaxing. I like that the track as a whole is very simple, while still having multiple parts to it. The distance of the vocals add a cool, affective effect, particularly for this vibe. His vocal harmonies are great as well. The guitar and piano parts are sweet and simple, blending well with the strings and ambient feel of the groove. This number reminds me of the Flaming Lips a little bit. I dig it.
"Heart Is A Drum" goes right along with the same kind of simple, guitar-based groove. The layering of the vocals is really nice, and it adds a depth to the track that would have otherwise felt bare if it were just one or two vocal parts. I'm not a fan of the piano that comes in towards the latter half, I find it unnecessary and think it makes the groove sound a little cornier than it had prior. While this is certainly a nice, simple song, I think it might be a little long for what it is, as I found myself losing interest towards the end.
By "Say Goodbye," you get a sense of the vibe of this record. I like the simplicity to it, but I wish that this track had more of the dynamics that I enjoyed in "Morning." You can only have so much guitar with ambient vocals. I wish the vocals were up in the mix the whole song and not just on "to say goodbye," but I do really like the harmonies that come in on that line. The entrance of the banjo didn't do anything for me, and - like the piano in the previous track - I thought it made the song sound a little corny. Otherwise, it's a nice song. "Morning" is still my favorite of the day though.
Morning Phase begins with a very sweet string intro, "Cycle." There's a great depth to it that pulls you in. It's only forty seconds, going right into the preceding song, but it does exactly what an intro is supposed to do and gets you excited for the record.
The transition into "Morning" is seamless as they are part of one another, and it has a great effect. What I think I like most about this track are the swells in dynamics, they have a wave-like quality to them that I find very relaxing. I like that the track as a whole is very simple, while still having multiple parts to it. The distance of the vocals add a cool, affective effect, particularly for this vibe. His vocal harmonies are great as well. The guitar and piano parts are sweet and simple, blending well with the strings and ambient feel of the groove. This number reminds me of the Flaming Lips a little bit. I dig it.
"Heart Is A Drum" goes right along with the same kind of simple, guitar-based groove. The layering of the vocals is really nice, and it adds a depth to the track that would have otherwise felt bare if it were just one or two vocal parts. I'm not a fan of the piano that comes in towards the latter half, I find it unnecessary and think it makes the groove sound a little cornier than it had prior. While this is certainly a nice, simple song, I think it might be a little long for what it is, as I found myself losing interest towards the end.
By "Say Goodbye," you get a sense of the vibe of this record. I like the simplicity to it, but I wish that this track had more of the dynamics that I enjoyed in "Morning." You can only have so much guitar with ambient vocals. I wish the vocals were up in the mix the whole song and not just on "to say goodbye," but I do really like the harmonies that come in on that line. The entrance of the banjo didn't do anything for me, and - like the piano in the previous track - I thought it made the song sound a little corny. Otherwise, it's a nice song. "Morning" is still my favorite of the day though.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Album Factoids
Morning Phase
Released: Feb 21, 2014
Genre: Alternative
Label: Capitol
Producer: Beck
Released: Feb 21, 2014
Genre: Alternative
Label: Capitol
Producer: Beck
Week 99: Beck
So, I actually got the suggestion to review this a couple months ago from my boy Charley, but I went with something else instead (don't remember what). Now that all this "album of the year" drama went down at the Grammys, I obviously have to listen to the album that beat one of the most game-changing albums of all time, Beyoncé. I'm also looking forward to reviewing this, because other than his song "Loser," I'm pretty unfamiliar with the majority of Beck's work. I know that he's an amazing musician, and seeing as he's been around for 20 years, this seems to be an appropriate time to hear what all of the hoopla is about :)
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