In recent years Beck’s album releases have delighted and disappointed in equal measure. The fact that I included not one but two songs from this new album on a recent local Shakenstir radio session tells you something about how I feel about his latest effort. In fact I was struggling to keep it down to two songs!

The album opens with the song I guess will be the first single. E-Pro is a rocky and highly melodic affair that kicks this year’s crop of single releases into the deep, dark shade. Thundering guitar riffs, singalong choruses, ocean deep base line give the song a strong dance flavour. It should fly. The album continues its highly jiggable path with the next track Que Onda Guero, a song that can be summed up in one word, and that word is ‘fun’. This is followed by another potential single in the bright and breezy Girl. My guess is that this will be released when the weather gets a bit warmer as it’s the ideal, throwaway summer song. A strong Latin beat dominates the next darker song, Missing. Thrown in for good measure are flashes of Eastern music akin to something out of a Beatles record. The diversity continues with Earthquake Weather and a bass rhythm that reminds me of an African tribal lament. A few more minutes pass before my favourite song appears. Broken Drum reeks of originality as it moves glacially along with repeatedly dipping instrumental choruses, as Beck sings at talking pace. Sparse keyboard notes add a dreamy ambience to this quite extraordinary song.

Scarecrow and Go It Alone introduce a bluesy element to proceedings, while a blue grass feel arrives with Farewell Ride. Beck has created an adventurous album bursting with variety in pace and mood. Should you buy it? Should Blair and Bush resign?

4.5/5