It’s typical of the restless Beck that his follow-up to the pensive Morning Phase is a loose-limbed hymn to hedonistic pop. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but given Beck’s ability to redraw rock’s boundaries, Colors is depressingly short of real surprises, its energy a poor substitute for drama or ideas. I’m So Free is sterile skate-punk with a feeble rap, while the shiny Up All Night fails to transcend its pedestrian title. Infrequently there are bursts of brilliance – the Bowie meets Men at Work-style funk of the title track; Wow’s theatrical reimagining of hip-hop – but happiness does not become the impish shape-shifter.
