SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BECK – RIDE LONESOME

BECK
RIDE LONESOME
CAPITOL RECORDS

Twelve years ago, Beck released his pivotal and critically acclaimed 12th album, Morning Phase. While not his most recent album, which was 2019’s Hyperspace, Beck has since reconvened with Smokey Hormel, Joey Waronker, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Roger Joseph Manning Jr., and Jason Falkner, the band behind not only Morning Phase, but also Sea Change, and Mutations. The result is Ride Lonesome, Beck’s impressive 15th studio record.

The crisp strumming of an acoustic guitar opens the album. The title track is a folky reflection of yearning in the wake of the end of a relationship. The sparse soundscape is accented by a slide guitar, light drums, and a warm piano with Beck’s gravelly voice at the centre. There is an overarching delivery that is both emotional, almost mourning, as well as listless and seemingly apathetic. In this sense, “Ride Lonesome” sits in a unique range that immediately harkens back to Tom Petty’s 1994 Wildflowers. It is incredibly striking for as simple as it is and the title track perfectly sets the tone and pace for the rest of the album.

Ride Lonesome continues with “Run Away,” a song driven by an arrangement that slowly builds as the band fills in the space. There is still a spaciousness to the sound, but the song grows into a place beyond that of the opener, something that is immediately contrasted with the moody “In The Night.” The lone fingerpicked acoustic guitar, and Beck’s low vocals set the stage for a lush array of strings, giving the song a cinematic tone. Much of Ride Lonesome fits within this sort of minimalistic vibe led forward by a pensive feeling of longing. Despite Beck’s voice as a songwriter remaining as strong as ever, the record feels flat at times; it is impressive to hear Beck and his band craft stirring melodies through atmospheric and brooding arrangements, however Ride Lonesome suffers from a lack of dynamics between songs. Still, it is hard to deny songs like “Bleed,” “Disappearing Act,” and “If You Don’t Know What Love Is” as examples of  compelling songwriting.

Beck remains among the most vital songwriters of our time. Once a prolific voice among alternative music, Ride Lonesome sees Beck continue to establish himself as a brilliant contemporary artist. On his latest album, he seems to double down on the great works of Petty and Dylan, connecting Ride Lonesome to a greater lexicon of melancholic and thoughtful songs that walk the line between folk and roots-based rock.

Artist Links