Beck - Modern Guilt

By now, you already know the details of Beck's eighth album, Modern Guilt: produced by Danger Mouse, two tracks featuring Cat Power, fulfills his recording contract with Interscope Records. What you may not yet be aware of is how radically different Modern Guilt is from Beck's last album, 2006's The Information. Clocking in at only ten tracks and just over a half an hour long, it's substantially shorter than The Information and shows Beck returning to a more simple, retro sound. A track like "Gamma Ray" relies on a relatively simple guitar riff and is one of the best songs on the album. It's shorter tracks like this and tighter melodies in general that give Modern Guilt its cohesive sound and make it an incredibly accessible album. But, that's not to say that Beck is playing it safe now that he's been around for awhile; check out the lush Pet Sounds-esque rocker, "Chemtrails," the creative sound effects and laid-back vibe of "Youthless," or the fantastically glitchy, "Replica," for example. If anything, Modern Guilt is a step in the right direction for Beck, who grabbed my attention again with Guero in 2005, and then lost it somewhere in the fifteen tracks on The Information. Although Beck may not have entirely reinvented himself on Modern Guilt, it's a sweet, uncomplicated album that is a welcome addition to any summer 2008 playlist.

DOWNLOAD: Beck - Modern Guilt [Interscope]
Recommended Tracks: "Gamma Ray," "Chemtrails," "Modern Guilt," "Replica," "Profanity Prayers."