Beck, "The Information," (Interscope)
Beck is a rock god. There's nothing he can't do. Nothing he's afraid to try.
On his seventh and latest release, "The Information," he combines his disparate skills masterfully.
He's the white-boy rapper. He's the techno-dance master.
Here he plays everything from guitar and sitar to glockenspiel and Gameboy. As always, he's daringly original, off-the-charts creative and, somehow, he manages not to turn it all into a big mess. Every track is a feast for the ears.
"Think I'm in Love" is the catchy pop song, ready for radio. "Strange Apparition" is a big, grand, piano anthem, like Coldplay bumped up a few notches. Thom Yorke and Radiohead would be proud of "New Round," which includes wind chimes, space noises, water sounds and, somehow, a banjo without sounding silly.
"Dark Star" is dark and sexy. With its spooky string section, it sounds a bit like something from his 2002 album "Sea Change." But because Beck is Beck, he throws in a harmonica solo just to mix it up and remind us he's not taking himself too seriously.
The only complaint? There's no cover art, simply blue-lined, graph paper and a packet full of stickers created by artists picked by Beck so listeners to create their own custom cover, which feels like a cop-out.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press.
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