MUSIC REVIEWS
ALBUM: Guero
ARTIST: Beck
REVIEWER: Seth Wolfshorndl
We should have expected Beck's latest effort to have some serious funk to it. It's all part of the alternating pattern he's been following with his albums for years now. The smash Odelay with its collage of beats and textures is followed by the even quirkier, largely acoustic Mutations. Then he puts out the funk of Midnite Vultures, and a couple of years ago, Sea Change, his most personal and toned-down album. And now we have Guero.
You can hear echoes of all these past albums in the new songs, almost as if Beck threw all of his previous work into a melting pot. On first listen, this may make this collection seem a tad too homogenized, with no sure-fire standouts, such as "Where It's At" or "Loser." But repeated listens reveal this slightly evened-out Beck to still be a formidable craftsman. It's basically the best of everything Beck. You get the funky beats, hint of blues, interesting instrumentation, and quirky lyrics that we know and love the guy for. But you also get a more mature view of things, not just random snippets of cool phrases thrown together.
It's great to hear Beck having fun again. As great as Sea Change was as a meditation on lost love, his pain was pretty evident throughout that disc. Guero has its somber moments ("Farewell Ride" and "Emergency Exit"), but it's also not afraid to be silly (a voice in the background of "Que' Onda Guero" talks about ceramics classes, mullets, and popsicles). And it's always fun to hear Beck bust out his slide-guitar chops, which he does consistently here. This is Beck's most well-rounded album to date and definitely one of his most enjoyable.
GRADE: A
HIGHLIGHT: "Go It Alone"
LOWLIGHT: "Hell Yes"
ALBUM: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
ARTIST: U2
REVIEWER: Seth Wolfshorndl
This is not an impartial review. I am a huge fan of U2. That's probably something you should know at the outset.
With their previous album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2 threw off their 90's disguise as disenchanted post-modernists and got back to just writing good songs. They were no longer afraid to be good ol' honest U2. Listening to How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, it's obvious that in fact they are revelling in being U2. Nearly every song sounds as if Bono has turned to the Edge and just said, "OK, cut loose!" This has to be U2's most soaring album, even more than their early works. Listen to "Miracle Drug" or "City of Blinding Lights" and try not to get goosebumps when Edge does his thing. No one comes close to U2 when they are at the top of their game.
Bono deals with spiritual issues in an interesting way on this album. "Crumbs From Your Table" seems like a plea for Christians to put their money where their mouths are (probably inspired by Bono's ongoing work with the AIDS crisis in Africa). Album closer "Yahweh" has Bono asking God to "take this heart and make it break." The line from that chorus- "always pain before the child is born"- seems almost as if Bono is answering his jaded persona from the Pop album, the one that questioned where God was in such a world of pain.
Two other standout tracks are the hit single "Vertigo" (probably the most kinetic U2 track ever) and "Love and Peace or Else." The later features a killer guitar hook and Bono in a sort of new millenium blues chant.
The fact that these two tracks are the only ones that really break new musical ground for the band is probably why I have to classify this as a very good U2 album, not an excellent one. As thrilling as it is to hear these guys cranking out the wide-open emotion of these songs, a little more risk-taking would have gone a long way. Also, the lack of many quieter moments makes it so that by the time the last few tracks have come around, you're almost worn out from the sheer bombast of it all. All That You Can't Leave Behind is a slightly superior album because it had more variety and took a few more chances.
That all being said, this is still a heck of an album, one that continues to show why U2 is the greatest band in the world.
GRADE: B+
HIGHLIGHT: "Love and Peace or Else"
LOWLIGHT: "A Man and a Woman"