MORNING PHASE
| Beck
MORNING PHASE
Morning Phase is the ninth official studio album and twelfth overall by American singer Beck. The album was released in February 2014 by his new label, Capitol Records. According to a press release, Morning Phase is a "companion piece" to Beck's 2002 album Sea Change. Several of the musicians who recorded parts for Sea Changereturned to record for Morning Phase.-wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
Coming in the wake of a back injury so severe Beck couldn’t pick up a guitar for a number of years, Morning Phase‘s struggle toward the light feels as personal as it does universal.
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Pitchfork
Instead of a much-needed daring comeback statement, it's more like a pointed exhale. It feels safe.
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The Guardian
a thoughtful and considered record that stands out amidst the year’s digital dystopia
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Consequence of Sound
Morning Phase makes for an interesting return to form
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Spin
A sun-kissed stroll through gentle waves of melody, serenity for those seeking some winter light
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NME
Touted as his ‘acoustic’ album, ‘Morning Phase’ is rather more symphonic than such a reductive description would have you believe.
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Chicago Tribune
when David Campbell’s strings make themselves heard, “Morning Phase” becomes something more than just a sequel to Beck’s best album
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The Telegraph
a deliciously dreamy album
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AV Club
Morning Phase succeeds just the same. It’s not as good as Sea Change, but that it’s anywhere close—and it is—means it’s doing something right.
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All Music
the abiding impression left from this album is one of comfort, not despair
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Vulture
As usual, the songs are expertly made, but there’s no flair to them; it’s like someone snuffed out the light in Beck’s songwriting.
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Drowned in Sound
- it seems there’s something more reflective going on, something older, wiser and a bit more philosophical.
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Our Vinyl
if you loved ‘Sea Change,’ you’ll really enjoy this album and if you didn’t and just want the fun of ‘Odelay’ or ‘Guero,’ keep waiting, because you probably won’t enjoy this one
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Slant Magazine
Morning Phase stands tall in comparison to Beck’s larger catalogue, something that could not be said of his last few albums
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Clash
perhaps this album is less about the comeback, more about closure
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Pretty Much Amazing
Beck delivers another career highlight
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Denver Post
“Morning Phase” brings Beck back to the basics, stripping back effects and sampling to let songs stand on bald merit. There’s plenty of it to be found.
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Tiny Mix Tapes
largely unimaginative arrangements, flat delivery, a surfeit of vague ecological metaphors that wash like spray on the rocks
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Paste Magazine
It is a beautiful record
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KEXP
Morning Phase sees Beck take on a dark horizon with a hopefulness and confidence that we never saw on Sea Change. In that, it’s a perfect sequel – the two go hand in hand.
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The 405
a terrific mood piece and a worthy follow-up
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Bass Player
it’s easy to perceive that simply one player is behind the album’s low end, which serves as a testament to Beck’s vision
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Golden Plec
We should be grateful too as this is a very rewarding album, certainly one of Beck’s best.
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RTE
Morning Phase is Beck at his best
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Bearded Gentlemen Music
Morning Phases sounds exactly like Sea Change, but nowhere near as good.
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The Line of Best Fit
the songs themselves are as strong as ever - this may well prove to be the biggest grower in Beck’s catalogue
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News Day
the biggest accomplishment in "Morning Phase" is the way it captures the feeling of hope
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Fire Note
Morning Phase is a record that has nothing to prove but everything to give!
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Radio Milwaukee
it would seem as though this could be Beck’s masterpiece up to this point
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LA Times
"Morning Phase" refreshes that familiar pose with some welcome mystery
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Montreal Gazette
This is one of the rare releases of this era that demands to be listened to from beginning to end. Over and over.
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The Arkansas Traveler
The album will be one everyone listens to when looking to connect their own sorrow with someone else’s.
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London In Stereo
There are moments of sublime beauty that only Beck can deliver.
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Mojo
Following his long, dark night, Beck's new album is a sleeping beauty.
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Audiophile Review
The orchestral parts on Morning Phase are really beautiful
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American Song Writer
the album is poised to be revered as one of Beck’s most potent collections
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The Way That He Sings
The beautiful, yet often dark quality of Morning Phase is numbing – reminding us again that Beck is one of the most eclectic, interesting, prolific and creative artists of the past 20 years.
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Red Brick
This record is certainly one of the best albums of the year so far
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Under the Radar
Morning Phase is a fine example of a melancholic record that never falls completely into the bleak abyss, keeping the listener affected but also invested.
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Space Coast Daily
Morning Phase is light as mountain air and twice as refreshing.
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The Waster
The whole album is very welcoming and really enjoyable to listen to.
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Des Moines Register
Beck takes us to an intimate, gray landscape that is haunting and beautiful.
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No More Workhorse
there’s still heart and emotion in what he does
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entertainment.ie
A successfully crafted homage to (one of) Beck's magnum opus', this is another trophy to add to an already glittering collection.
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Noted
Through his acute skill in all aspects of recording, he can make magic for our ears.
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UPROXX
This is the first great album of 2014 and it”s meant to be savored.
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Independent
The road to a new dawn plotted on a gorgeous return
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NZ Herald
But despite its darker moments, Morning Phase is a pleasurable listen that bizarrely lulls you and energises you at the same time.
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WSOE
each track is followed by another that is nothing less than appropriate
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Daily Journal
"Morning Phase" is the similarly lush, but far more determined, sound of being able to face the day again
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Brent Music Reviews
yet another exceptional addition to Beck’s discography
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news.com.au
an album full of melancholy that somehow leaves you uplifted
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Mind Equals Blown
Absolutely stunning.
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Readings
Morning Phase becomes a personal, acoustic album, folksy and indie by way of the Nashville setting where seeds of the songs were planted years before
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Reality TC
While Morning Phase is another poignant and introspective album—the overall effect is more hopeful than depressing.
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Anhedonic Headphones
These songs, to me, are utterly meaningless.
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Antiquiet
Really, if this is what maturity sounds like then maybe Beck shouldn’t have bothered growing up in the first place.
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TimeOut
There are no bad tracks on Beck's long-awaited return
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Culture or trash
Morning Phase dutifully serves up a warm trayful of sweetly-glazed Californian folk
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Mandatory
This is some of the best work Beck has done in years, and destined to top 2014 best of lists.
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Saving Country Music
Morning Phase is an audiophile’s dream, with full, rich, vibrant hues of sound
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The Feedback Society
Morning Phase puts Sea Change behind and looks up rather than back.
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The Daily Beast
But ultimately the relative remoteness of Morning Phase is what makes it such a rewarding record—the kind you can return to again and again.
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We've Been There Before
Morning Phase tells a full story and is a complete package rather than having individual treatments and directions from track to track.
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Lexgo
'Morning Phase' is mellow gold
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Guitar World
an exhibition of one of the world’s finest songwriters doing what he does best
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Christmachine
In my Opinion Beck – “Morning Phase” is his Magnum Opus.
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Technique
Morning Phase is an incredibly well-put-together album that carries a consistent tone without repeating a single thing.
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Alt Citizen
the layered vocal arrangements on Morning Phase add resonance to Beck’s contemplative lyrics
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Flood Magazine
The quieter side of Beck delivers one of the biggest triumphs of the year.
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Gascan
for Beck and the beautiful Morning Phase, six years has been well worth the wait
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