'Guero' by Beck

I’m not entirely sure of the chronology on this one. I think my first Beck album was ‘Odelay’, bought well after release as one of those ‘this is an album I should probably own’ purchases. I also have ‘The Information’ in my collection, and this. I think this one came first, and I think it was bought (or given to me – not sure) after seeing Beck perform an extraordinarily inventive set at the V festival in 2007ish. Anyhow, I’d listened to it a bit and enjoyed it, but it hadn’t left a very strong impression.

Determined listening pays off, however. It’s an album of varying accessibility – even across the first three tracks, ‘E-Pro’ is instantly catchy, ‘Qué Onda Guero’ sounds like a directionless jam, and ‘Girl’ is perfectly radio friendly – but even at its most impenetrable, it’s a good listen. It reinforces the common perception of Beck, as a talented and experimental musician who can turn his hand to more or less whatever he likes. It goes on a little longer than its optimum length, but probably only because of the bonus tracks stuck on the end. Though, in fairness, ‘Send A Message To Her’ deserves its place, even if ‘Chain Reaction’ is a bit Beck-by-numbers.