Mutations

Beck starts out Mutations with the psych-folk Cold Brains, which sounds almost like early 2000s Flaming Lips. It's a lovely opener with some space-y synths and bittersweet guitar riffs. Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't really deviate much from this sound.

This album is mostly occasionally experimental or psychedelic country-folk, which isn't a bad idea on paper, but when so many tracks all have the same somber riffs and slow tempos, it really just all blurs together without many memorable moments. I've always appreciated Beck for his genre-chameleon approach, but Mutations on the other hand is too consistent for its own good.

Okay, that's not all 100% true. Tropicalia is a lot of fun, mostly just because Brazilian jazz just naturally sounds great imo. It does feel a bit out of place though, and it doesn't really do much beyond being a Tropicalia track (as its title implies) other than some classic Beck-y sound effects in the outro. It's still a nice moment overall.

Not a bad album, it just lacks the quirky energy that Beck is good at.

Best tracks: Cold Brains, Lazy Flies, Tropicalia, Sing It Again

No thanks: Uhhhh I don't remember anything about Cancelled Check, so that ig

Genres: Country-Folk, Neo-Psychedelia