My initial impression of Beck was that he was another smart lo-fi studio artist, updating folk and rock's past with electro and hip hop influences. His "Loser" was an anthem for the slacker generation, but his nonchalant singing style wouldn't take him far. Indeed his vocals remain his biggest weakness, but over time he's proved a master of assimilating influences from various sources and creating something idiosyncratically modern. Though not devoid of studio wizardry, "Mutations" is definitely a song-based collection. Opener "Cold Brains" is a druggy folk song embellished by electronic sounds, chiming glockenspiel and a desolate harmonica solo. "Nobody's Fault But My Own" is an acid folk ballad with a prominent sitar giving it a strong 60's feel - one of his best. Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich proves once again a master of atmospherics and Beck's vocal, however understated, conveys emotion well. The Kinks-like "Lazy Flies" is followed by the countrified "Canceled Check" with old-timey pedal steel guitar and New Orleans horns. "We Live Again", "Dead Melodies" and "Sing It Again" are more country-tinged ballads. "Bottle of Blues" is a relatively upbeat whimsical 60's number, once again reminiscent of the Kinks, while "Static" and "O Maria" sound like the work of a jazzier Syd Barrett. Bonus tracks "Diamond Bollocks" and "Runners Dial Zero" aren't bad but kinda don't really belong here, the former being a loud fuzzy piece and latter a drunken lo-fi ballad. That leaves us with "Tropicalia", the album's lead single. It's got an infectious bossa nova beat, playful trombone and funny electronic bleeps, inviting us not to take it too seriously and join in the fun. Which we can't help but do...
***** for Tropicalia
**** for Nobody's Fault But My Own, Canceled Check, Dead Melodies, Bottle of Blues,
*** for Cold Brains, Lazy Flies, We Live Again, O Maria, Sing It Again, Static
** for Diamond Bollocks, Runners Dial Zero
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