Morning Phase
| Morning Phase | ||||||||||
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| Studio album by Beck | ||||||||||
| Released | February 25, 2014 | |||||||||
| Genre | Alternative rock, folk rock, country rock | |||||||||
| Length | 47:12 | |||||||||
| Label | Capitol | |||||||||
| Beck chronology | ||||||||||
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Morning Phase is the upcoming twelfth studio album by American musician Beck.[1] The album is scheduled to be released on February 25, 2014, on his new label, Capitol Records. According to a press release, Morning Phase will be a "companion piece" to his 2002 album Sea Change, and "harkens back to the stunning harmonies, song craft and staggering emotional impact of that record, while surging forward with infectious optimism." Several of the musicians who recorded parts for Sea Change returned to record for Morning Phase.
Background
Beck's previous album, Modern Guilt was released in 2008, and was the final album released under his Interscope Records contract.[2] In the interim between album releases, Beck worked on a wide variety of projects, including new studio material, most of which went unreleased for several years.[2] In October 2012, bassist and frequent collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen commented: "I would estimate that there are currently about three or four albums’ worth of material floating around,", and Beck himself said that "I wasn't sure if I was going to put out a record – or if I should put out a record. It felt like I was standing still, while everything else was in such flux."[2]
In 2012 and 2013, Beck began to perform live with more regularity than in the years immediately following the Modern Guilt tour.[3] This period also saw new original material. The "I Just Started Hating Some People Today/Blue Randy" single was released in 2012, and in 2013, he self-released the "Defriended", "I Won't Be Long", and "Gimme" singles.[4] All three of these songs were standalone releases, and were released as 12-inch singles on his own FONOGRAF label.[2] "I Won't Be Long" and "Gimme" were allegedly from an unfinished project from 2009, described as being similar to Odelay.[2] According to Beck, the remaining songs from this project may see a similar release method.[2]
In June 2013, Beck announced the release of two new albums in 2014, with one of the two being an "acoustic" album. The press release for the "acoustic" album (along with the news of his contract with Capitol Records) arrived in October 2013, with the name Morning Phase and a February 2014 release window.[5] The other album has been planned for a later release, and is currently unfinished. It was reported in November 2013 that Beck was recovering from a spinal injury he sustained at some point around 2008.[6] He described the recording process for Modern Guilt as "doing it with both hands tied behind your back. It hurt to sing. I'm whispering through half of those vocals." On the other hand, he said that Morning Phase was a much more satisfactory experience: "Some of the songs on the new record – I get to shout and yell. I'm like, 'Thank you!' I had a lot of ideas and things I'd been wanting to do. This last year and a half, I feel like I can really do them."[6]
Recording
In 2005, Beck began recording material in Nashville for a new album, but it remained incomplete for several years.[2] It was not until 2012 that he returned to continue the project, this time recording at Third Man Records (which, incidentally had not existed at the time of his previous sessions).[2] Two songs from these new sessions, "I Just Started Hating Some People Today" and "Blue Randy" were released that year as a non-album single on Third Man's Blue Series.[2] Other songs, like "Blackbird Chain", "Country Down", and "Waking Light" were reserved for what would become Morning Phase.[2] In the beginning of 2013, he recorded a great deal of the album in his hometown of Los Angeles in three days, with familiar studio and touring musicians Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Joey Waronker, Roger Joseph Manning Jr, and Smokey Hormel. The next six months, Beck working with this material for an album release.[2] His father David Campbell has been reported to have contributed orchestral arrangements for the album, as he had done previously for Sea Change, and several of Beck's other albums.[2]
Singles
On January 20, 2014, the album's first single "Blue Moon" was released.[7] Beck released the second single from the album, "Waking Light," on February 4, 2014.[8][9]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| CraveOnline | 9/10[10] |
CraveOnline's Iann Robinson rated the album 9/10, calling it a "proud successor to Sea Change" and "downtempo stroke of genius," and noting that it's some of Beck's best work in years.[10]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cycle" | 0:39 | |
| 2. | "Morning" | 5:19 | |
| 3. | "Heart Is A Drum" | 4:31 | |
| 4. | "Say Goodbye" | 3:29 | |
| 5. | "Blue Moon" | 4:02 | |
| 6. | "Unforgiven" | 4:34 | |
| 7. | "Wave" | 3:40 | |
| 8. | "Don't Let It Go" | 3:09 | |
| 9. | "Blackbird Chain" | 4:26 | |
| 10. | "Phase" | 1:07 | |
| 11. | "Turn Away" | 3:05 | |
| 12. | "Country Down" | 4:00 | |
| 13. | "Waking Light" | 5:00 |
References
- ↑ Ayers, Mike (October 28, 2013). "Beck Returns to 'Sea Change' Vibe for February LP 'Morning Phase'". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 Fricke, David (November 21, 2013). "Beck Shares 'Morning Phase' Details". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Search for setlists: beck". setlist.fm. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Beck Discography at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Beck Announces New Album Morning Phase, Signs to Capitol Records". Pitchfork. October 28, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hudson, Alex (November 14, 2013). "Beck Opens Up About Severe Spine Injury". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Blue Moon: Beck". Amazon.com. January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Waking Light: Beck". Amazon.com. February 4, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
- ↑ Minsker, Evan (February 4, 2014). "Listen: Beck: "Waking Light"". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Robinson, Iann (January 31, 2014). "Review: Beck's 'Morning Phase' Shines With Honesty and Warmth". CraveOnline. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
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