Category — Music

The second set of articles in our Top Five of 2008 series is up. My #4 pick is Beck’s latest, Modern Guilt. Here’s an excerpt:

I think the success of Modern Guilt can be attributed in large part to production by Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley fame (more on this tomorrow). Danger Mouse styles himself an auteur, and like every record he touches, Modern Guilt displays an unmistakable cinematic quality. Many of the sounds here bear a clear resemblance to jazzy ’60s Italian film soundtracks by the likes of Piero Piccioni. Polished little atmospheric touches sparkle throughout the album, rewarding repeated listens without growing so dense as to be overwhelming. Understated contributions by Cat Power on two tracks round things out nicely without seizing the spotlight.

• Keep track of all the articles in this series
• Music video for “Gamma Ray”