Sea Change (Geffen)   
 
Sea Change is a rare peek into the sadly serious side of Beck. Instead of those familiar frothy and funky rolling waves -- most closely associated with his "two turntables and a microphone" past -- this album presents the deep, dark oceanic underbelly of his tortured and brokenhearted soul.

In place of slapping bass and falsetto vocals, which helped turn his previous Midnite Vultures into a modern day stoned soul picnic, Beck is surrounded here by muted keyboards, plucked acoustic guitars and emotionally swelling strings. His singing voice is mostly low and fragile, and still smarting from a lost-love hangover.

The album's painfully obvious theme plots Beck's intention to get over a recent romantic breakup. "Lonesome tears/I can't cry them anymore," he declares in "Lonesome Tears." Then on "Lost Cause," he finally sounds ready to cut his losses and move on. "I'm tired of fighting for a lost cause."

One hears hints of "Harvest" era Neil Young, a touch of Dylan from around the time of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," and a whole lot of Jimmy Webb inhabiting this project. Yet for the most part, it all still sounds distinctly Beck-ian. Except for, perhaps, "Round The Bend" which -- though really nice -- is much too close to a Nick Drake out take for comfort. It's filled out by Drake-esque hushed singing and swelling strings, along with folk-y acoustic guitar.

With Sea Change, Beck is unashamedly a loser, baby - at the whole love game, that is.

8.0