Review: Beck Returns With ‘Ride Lonesome’ – The ‘Sea Change’/’Morning Phase’ Style – Is Sad Beck The Best Beck?

Perennial B&V favorite Beck has returned with a new album, Ride Lonesome, his first album in seven years. I’m not sure when the rock ethos “let’s wait years between releases” kicked in, but I’m certainly not crazy about it. Give me all the Beck I can get.

It may seem a little longer than seven years to me because I didn’t exactly connect with his last two LPs, 2017’s Colors nor 2019’s Hyperspace. Despite my feelings about the LPs as a whole, as usual with Beck there were still some great songs like “Up All Night” and “Dear Life” or even “Wow” from the former and “Saw Lightning” from the latter. There’s always a prize tune or two on every Beck album and usually a lot more than that.

Of course Beck hasn’t been idle in these previous seven years. He’s released several wonderful acoustic singles: a Neil Young cover “Old Man,” and “Thinking About You,” which I really enjoyed. Sadly, the former was for a football commercial, sigh. And admittedly he’s toured extensively.

Even earlier this year (January) Beck released an album of stray singles and rarities, Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime. He also collaborated a few years back with the Black Keys on Ohio Players. So Beck has “been around,” just not top of mind, I suppose.

Just like Neil Young, whose new LP I just posted about (Second Song), Beck really has two sides to his musical personality. Of course the one we all got to know first was the fast-rhyming, wise cracking, electric, upbeat side of Beck from “Loser” or ‘Odelay.’

But Beck also has an acoustic side. I was first introduced to it (late in the game) when I picked up Mutations in ’98. Sadly, that one got left at an ex-girlfriend’s place when I had to make, ahem, a hasty departure. Sometimes you just gotta “slip out the back, Jack.” I will say “Bottle of Blues” remains a favorite.

More importantly Beck has released two albums – Sea Change (2002) and Morning Phase (2014) – that are acoustic, mellow and yes, sad albums. Morning Phase has been described as a sequel to Sea Change. And I have to say, regarding Ride Lonesome, it feels like the third in a trilogy almost like Neil’s “Ditch Trilogy” or Bowie’s “Berlin Trilogy.”

Those first two albums in this “trilogy” are fabulous. I remember hearing Sea Change, and that first song “Golden Age,” with the lyric “Put your hands on the wheel, let the golden age begin.” In that song the narrator/singer is watching his ex-pull away in the car. It was heart rending. I’ve always been a sucker for sad songs but by 2002 most my heartbreak was in the rearview mirror and yet Beck made me feel it all over again.

Beck had just been through a break up and it was raw and fresh and the music reflected that. Morning Phase was 12 years later and there was that same melancholy but it wasn’t as fresh or searing. It was wrapped in gauzy strings. I was surprised the Rock Chick dug it more than Sea Change which got my attention. It was another remarkable album.

I say all of this because at this point we have to ask – Is sad Beck the best Beck?

All of three of the aforementioned sad albums, and Mutations for that matter (although that one has a completely different vibe), were recorded with the same musicians with Nigel Godrich producing (although on Ride Lonesome he’s only mixed the album). This plays into the trilogy talk.

And so here we are, coincidentally 12 years out from Morning Phase with Ride Lonesome. I have to say, I really like this record, but even I was thinking maybe we would hit the point of diminishing returns on sad stuff. I think I was wrong.

While the pain and sadness was immediate on Sea Change, and more of a bad memory on Morning Phase, on Ride Lonesome the sadness feels more remote, like it’s an echo of the sad memories. It’s like the cover art with Beck the despair hiding behind a sheer curtain as opposed to the close up on his face, staring you directly in the eye on the previous ones. That’s not to say there aren’t very gripping moments here, it’s just not quite as visceral.

The album works best when listened to as a whole but there are so many great moments. The title track, “Ride Lonesome” will certainly be considered one of his best. This record is more heavily orchestrated than even Morning Phase and I don’t know if that’s reverb on his voice but it sounds treated to sound almost distant to me.

Beyond the title track, there are a lot of great tracks here. The title track kicks it off followed by “Run Away” and “In The Night” and both tunes grabbed me. On first listen I felt like the latter half of the album was more stacked in terms of great songs but with that starting trio, I’m not so sure about that after repeated listens.

“Failed Words,” with its piano was chillingly effective. “For Your Love” was all orchestra and Beck’s voice and was very moving. “Slow Canyon” may be my favorite song on the album with a beautiful acoustic guitar.

That leads to a string of great songs on the back end of the album including “It Ends Right Here,” “Falling Through My Hands,” and the stunning “If You Don’t Know What Love Is” which may be the emotional heart of this album.

“Beyond The Light” ends things and I dig it but I didn’t add it to my Playlist: Songs About The Light/Light, as it didn’t have the right vibe. Pretty song though.

The album seems longer than its 47 minute running time. I think this one, more than the other two might take a few listens to grow on you, but it’s worth the investment. This is a rich, beautiful album from a brilliant, brilliant musician.

And I think at this point I have to say that yes, sad Beck, is indeed the best Beck.

When a genius like Beck kicks out a record, especially one of the Sea Change/Morning Phase variety, we’ve gotta sit up and take notice. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another 7 years to hear from Beck again. I’ve only seen him live when he opened for U2, but I’d love to see him again, perhaps with an orchestra. I could see an evening of songs just from this “Sad Trilogy”… Perhaps at the Kauffman where Plant just played, it’s a classy upscale joint, perfect for an orchestral backing band.

And of course, I’d love to hear some more upbeat Beck sometime soon. After 7 years he’s probably got some Modern Guilt style tracks to share with us. Enjoy this quiet, introspective album… you’ll be moved. Being sad never sounded this good.

Cheers!