Beck – Gamma Ray

I had almost given up on Beck. I’ve always felt that Sea Change was the album of his career, that it not only showcased his songwriting abilities but underlined what he is capable of when his music gains a focus. Since then, however, every album has been billed as “a return of the Beck we all know and love,” but instead merely offer a collection of ADHD-driven tracks where he faffs about, distractedly tinkering with a combination of cruising beats and forgettable ideas.

So when the press campaign behind the new release began on the same note, I was wary. Thankfully, Modern Guilt sees Beck unearth an enjoyable consistent album of ’60s-style pop tunes under the guidance of Danger Mouse’s stylish production. It’s still fun and strut-wrothy, but it actually feels like a concentrated effort to create an album that won’t just be forgotten about next year.

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[audio http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/50153/The%20Shortwave%20Set%20-%2003%20-%20Is%20It%20Any%20Wonder.mp3]

The Shortwave Set – ‘Is It Any Wonder’

That it’s produced by Danger Mouse is enough to warrant an investigation, that it sounds like this is enough to make Song of the Day.

No one’s entirely sure what exactly is going on here yet, but it appears  ?uestlove received permission from Gnarls Barkley boys Danger Mouse and Cee-lo to be the first to leak “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?” to the net via a self-shot YouTube sing-along. The track is the second single from their forthcoming second album The Odd Couple, released April 8th on Atlantic.