Beck Modern Guilt by: Justin Pearsall Thu:17-Jul-08 Label: Interscope Year: 2008 WB rating 73 out of 100

It’s almost expected that Beck will do something unexpected. From the slacker anthems of Mellow Gold, to the sexed-out disco of Midnight Vultures and the melancholia of Sea Change, the only thing consistent about Beck’s first five studio albums was their continual quality. Whereas genre-jumping by other artists has seemed more like a pre-meditated move – one consciously crafted to address the concerns of critics (see Coldplay’s Viva La Vida), the restrictions of a ‘signature sound’ (see Sigur Ros’ Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust) or ambitions for commercial success (see Eskimo Joe, Wolfmother and the scores of other Australian bands trying to crack the international market) – Beck’s evolutions had, until this point, always appeared natural.

Then came Guero and The Information. While both were spins on sounds he’d flirted with earlier, these were the first releases to sound forced – as if Beck was, for the first time, chasing his own tail. Specifically, these latter records confused something Beck had been a master of: recognising that advancement can only be as good as the songs and melodies on offer.

With this background in mind, Modern Guilt is an important album for Beck. While it fails to match the heights of previous classics, and is partly a mix-n-match of many of his previous styles, it is a return to more unforced performances. Put simply, Beck’s latest sounds comfortable, and although comfort rarely makes for great records, in Beck’s case it has made for a return to form.

Like the Dust Brothers/Nigel Goodrich collaborations of the past, Modern Guilt is as much defined by the contributions of the producer as it is by the idiosyncrasies of its songwriter. Fleshed out by the fuzzy retro vibe that Danger Mouse has perfected with Gnarls Barkley, the distinctive stamp of Danger Mouse is as pronounced on the more organic material, such as album highlight and title track ‘Modern Guilt’, as it is on the more sprawling numbers, such as the Amnesiac-esque ‘Walls’.

Like much of Beck’s back catalogue, Modern Guilt’s rhythms are as important to a song’s construction (and the album’s mood) as the melodies. A consciously shorter record that its rambling predecessor, Beck’s songwriting was largely crated from drum beat foundations – acoustic guitar and vocals being forced to fit with the pre-established rhythm, countering the standard idea of a ‘backbeat’.

The album’s best moments are those that combine the rhythmic talents of Danger Mouse with the supreme importance of melody. Opening track, ‘Orphans’, is one such example. Steered by a bouncing, dominant rhythm, the track’s opening verses morph into some 60’s flavoured, harmony-laden pop. Similarly, ‘Modern Guilt’ is guided by a beat that is partly Zombies-esque shuffle, partly a subdued Queens of the Stone Age ‘No One Knows’. The true crux of the song’s weight though is the sombre sounding Beck, who rolls over the chord changes and Kinks-ian guitar lines.

Overall, Modern Guilt is a solid Beck album. For any unfamiliar with his past recordings its mish-mash status will serve as an easy introduction into a varied and important career. For Beck fans it will likely entertain but not astonish. But perhaps most importantly, it suggests that the missteps of Guero and The Information were exactly that, missteps, not a continuing trend.