MGF Reviews Beck – The Information

Beck – The Information
Interscope Records (released 10/3/2006)
Rock/Alternative

If you’re a fan of Beck, there’s a unique thrill that you feel when you hear he’s got a new album coming out. It’s kind of like when you hear David Blaine is going to do something; even if you’re not a fan, you’re kind curious what he’s going to do next. With Beck, fans really can’t wait to hear what he’s going to do next.

This is an artist who flashed a funked-up libido on Midnite Vultures right before and after two releases of somber reflection (Mutations and Sea Change). So after hearing that Beck had new material out—which had been three years in the making—I really couldn’t wait to hear what he had up his sleeve.

For The Information, Beck once again hooked up with producer Nigel Godrich, who produced the aforementioned stripped down affairs Mutations and Sea Change. But the results don’t match those previous albums, in fact The Information sounds like what most people think a Beck album would sound like. And that’s the problem.

The album’s full of Beck’s trademarked scattershot stream-of-consciousness lyrics and it’s full of the lush production richness that Godrich has displayed on albums by Radiohead among others. And it even starts with promise; the quirky countdown that begins “Elevator Music” assures you that you’re listening to a Beck album.

But from there it doesn’t really build it just stays even keel. No sonic envelopes are pushed (ooh, there’s scratching on “We Dance Alone”!) and nothing new is revealed. The Information takes two aspects of past Beck albums and combines them into an album that can aptly be classified as “adequate.” And considering the bar that Beck has set as an artist, adequate just doesn’t cut it.

“1000BPM” sounds like someone doing a parody of Beck, quirky beat, geeky rhyme flow and all. The standout track, “New Round”, is practically begging for an acoustic version.

The Information has the dense layered productions that one associates with a Beck album, but minus the fun. It’s got the somber mood of an album overseen by Godrich, but without the stripped down production that gives the listener an intimate connection with the music. The Information makes great background music, but doesn’t demand the listeners attention. It makes the perfect soundtrack for an overcast day; not really depressing but there’s little fun to be had.

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