Morning Phase – Beck

Back in mid-April, my friend Gabe Pullicar had me over to his place. He has one of the best vinyl setups I’ve ever seen; a nice table, a nice amp and great speakers. We listened to several records that night, from my hard-to-find brand new pressing of Nevermind by Nirvana to his dilophosaurus-colored vinyl of the Jurassic Park soundtrack. Near the end of the evening, he put on Morning Phase by Beck.

“Have you heard this yet?” he asked as I skeptically watched him remove the vinyl from its sleeve. I told him I hadn’t and in truth, I didn’t know really any Beck besides 1994’s “Loser,” his breakout hit. I had heard talk about his other albums – Odelay is on practically every list of top album art – but hadn’t really followed or listened to any of his material.

Gabe dropped the needle and the opening orchestral swell of “Cycle” came out of the speakers like dandelion seeds in a breeze. It’s a short track; only about 40 seconds of arranged strings to introduce the album. It gave way to the first acoustic strum of “Morning” and I was sold. The production of this record is absolutely amazing and no song showcases it better than “Morning.” It’s a lackadaisical ballad and every single note and chord is deliberate. About a minute and half through, a vocal harmony joined on the line “Ocean of diamonds / Always shine / Smooth out below” and I literally felt myself exhale with pleasure.

That night, I was only able to listen to the first two track of the album before I had to leave, and although it was an impressionable experience, I quickly forgot about the album in the hustle and bustle of finishing my last semester of college. So, I was just as suprised as everyone else when Morning Phase won album of the year at the Grammys. I decided to listen to it in its entirety in addition to the review of Beyoncé’s eponymous album that was expected to win the award, which I was already working on.

“Morning Phase embodies the idea that songs stir up emotions – they have ideas or ideologies that penetrate a person and make the song become a part of that person.” (Gabe Pullicar)

The thing that I like most about Morning Phase is that it isn’t a concept album, per se, but is a recording that is very aware that it should be presented in an album format. Interspersed throughout the record are small “filler ” tracks that highlight the orchestral motif we were introduced to in “Cycle,” thus giving the album a really cohesive feeling overall. I use the term “filler” with disdain – I don’t mean to say the tracks don’t have value unto themselves. For example, the three minute long “Wave” in the heart of the album is one of my favorite tracks; it’s a haunting ode to loneliness with each syllable being held out the perfect amount, trailing off into David Campbell’s superb string arrangement. Each song has an individual purpose, but its place within the tapestry of the album as a whole brings a congruence that few albums achieve in this day and age.

So take a night to listen to Morning Phase.

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Released: February 21st, 2014

Suggested by: Gabe Pullicar

For project details and to suggest your own favorite album, visit the intro page.