Beck’s 14th album sees the US star return to a more experimental sound. It’s also his first collaboration with Pharrell Williams — and who could be a better co-pilot for a musical mission to outer space?
Hyperlife sets the tone for the record, with cinematic synths and a slightly psychedelic vibe, before Uneventful Days kicks in and the decision to auto-tune Beck’s vocals proves unexpectedly successful against Williams’s R&B flourishes.
What Hyperspace lacks is instant hits, the exception perhaps being more upbeat Die Waiting, with its dancier vibe, punchy chorus and wishful lyrics: “I can’t understand why I’ve waited for so long, just to walk out of the dark and see the world moving on.”
The space theme has clearly been taken seriously, with references to the moon, sun and stars verging on being OTT, but you can’t help wishing some of the instrumentals were longer and bigger. Hyperlife ends too soon and Chemical, a brief nod to a more traditional rock sound, proves to be forgettable.
Beck’s maximalist approach has taken a backseat but this intergalactic journey could have benefited from his foot being pressed harder on the accelerator.
