Album Review: Beck – “Morning Phase”

Hello everyone, Frostburg’s resident music critic Chris Evans here. In honor of the 57th annual Grammy Awards as well as of the winner for Album of the Year, Beck, I will be reviewing the album that won him the award: “Morning Phase.” So much came out of the Grammys that made the show somewhat worth watching, but the most talked about moment of the night was probably rapper/producer Kanye West coming on stage and catching himself before he made a repeat of his notorious interruption of Taylor Swift at the 2009 Grammys, with Beck as his victim this time.

I was really annoyed by this moment and what Kanye West would say after the show about the legitimacy of the award. I happen to agree with Mr. West on a few points in regards to the legitimacy of the Grammys, but to say a musician like Beck does not deserve such an honor is disrespectful.

Beck has built a pretty long and successful career for himself as a musician. With twelve albums under his belt since 1993, he has been able to mix up his style, whether it be folk, alternative rock, experimental rock and funk, or even hip hop and 8-bit sounds.

What some consider to be his best album, “Sea Change,” gained critical reception back in 2002, and some would consider “Morning Phase” to be the predecessor to “Sea Change” due to its folk rock nature and the fact that a lot of the same musicians that appeared on “Sea Change” appeared on this album as well.

While this album did gain much praise by critics and even won Album of the Year at the Grammys, I do not think it was that great, but, to be fair, it was better than the other albums that were nominated. Out of all of the albums in Beck’s discography, it is funny that this album would be the one to win that award.

“Morning Phase” sounds literally like something you would play early in the morning when the sun is not out yet. This album starts off with the very orchestral intro track “Cycle,” which does sound pretty but does not really present much more than over-inflated strings. A lot of the songs on this album do not offer anything emotionally gripping or heartfelt. They’re forgettable.

The album is very slow and somber in most cases, just like “Sea Change,” which is an obvious aesthetic that Beck is trying to portray. But it is hard to be invested in the songs on “Morning Phase” because the lyrics do not leave you invested in the songs. The instrumentation is so rich and pretty accompanying Beck’s voice (which is perfect for this style of music) that it is almost like the message does not really matter.

For example, in the song “Morning,” the blend of instruments and slight reverb on Beck’s voice create a bright sound, but that is it. A lot of the songs are very similar in their approach, to the point where they are almost the same songs. The last song on this album, “Waking Light,” has the most personality on this entire album, thanks to the electric guitar that comes in towards the end of the song.

If you want to get into Beck, please do not start with this album. Beck has an amazing discography, and most of his best works come from his earlier projects (especially his albums from the 90s). However, if you are a fan of the folk sound that Beck presents on this album, then by all means, go ahead and give it a listen.