By Madeline Kerins

Beck had fallen off the radar since his album Midnite Vultures was released in 1999. Since then, he’s released two albums, his latest, Guero, and Sea Change. A quick browse through Beck’s discography reveals what seems to be a trend-he releases a CD that spawns a single, then releases a flop, then a CD with a single, etc. This pattern began with his 1994 release Mellow Gold, from which his first breakout hit “Loser” came, followed by a ’94 release that went virtually unnoticed until Odelay! in 1996. And Guero is no exception. The first single, “E-Pro,” also the lead track, has been well received by radio and TV. Whether or not Guero will have longevity like the multi-hit Odelay! seems unlikely, but for now, Beck has wedged his way back into the mainstream.

While “E-Pro” is very radio-friendly and catchy, the remainder of the album lacks the same quality. For those not familiar with his style, Beck loves to experiment. This is evident on the drum-ridden track “Black Tambourine,” where he whispers over deep beats that borders somewhere between insanely catchy and just plain strange. The track “Missing” is reminiscent of Chris Cornell in his Audioslave days, as Beck croons “something always / takes the place of / missing pieces / you can take / and put together / even though / you know there’s / something missing.”

“Que Onda Guero” carries a similarity to Beck’s early work, making it one of the more likeable tracks. The techno-intro to “Girl” is misleading, because it also lends itself to becoming one of the album’s gems, carrying a twangy, upbeat feel to it. “Hell Yeah” is probably the most ecclectic of the tracks, including a harmonica, techno beat and computer-generated voices of a female and Beck. It leads into “Broken Drum,” a dismal piano and electronica song that displays an uncharacteristically gloomy side of Beck. It doesn’t bode well; the placement of these two tracks in the middle seems to bring the mood of the album down as a whole.

Rounding out the mix is one last decent song disguised between a strange combination of techno-acoustic instrumentals, otherwise known as “Farewell Ride,” “Rental Car” and “Emergency Exit.”

Basically, the advice best fitting for the majority of those curious about what Beck’s latest serving has to offer: download “E-Pro” on iTunes and forget about it. Unless you’re a hardcore Beck fan or an entrepreneurial musician yourself, this most likely isn’t your cup of tea. Beck’s level of experimentation on this album seems to get lost on the casual listener.