Beck – Sea Change (Numbered Gold CD)

Beck’s Sea Change remains the best record of the indie icon’s career. And how. The sonic chameleon shocked the world in 2002 with this warm-sounding folk-pop album—a sincere, honest, and mature meditation on the end of a nine-year relationship with his girlfriend. As for the vocalist’s trademark irony, sarcasm, and humor? Not here. In their place is an affecting emotionalism to which anyone who’s ever been in (or out) of love will relate. The music is equally personal and meditative. Gorgeous string arrangements come courtesy of his father, David Campbell, and illustrate the heartbreak that informs the beautiful melodies and tranquil moods.

Best of all, this album is anything but a bummer. Intending to be heard to from start to finish, Beck begins the record with songs conveying emptiness and loss, and gradually moves on to narratives that detail what changes are necessary to regain a sense of identity, purpose, and feeling. By the time he reaches the concluding “Little One,” the healing has begun. Consider this Beck’s mellowest gold—a feat confirmed by its selection as the #2 record of 2002 on Village Voice’s all-encompassing Pazz & Jop poll.

And now, thanks to truly painstaking remastering efforts, this embraceable and intimate gem sounds better than ever. No lie. Master tapes of every cut were delivered to Mobile Fidelity engineers on a separate reel, with the finished product taking months to perfect.