Beck Hansen has always spun pop in his own direction. For more than two decades, the LA-based musician has embraced contemporary sounds and then molded them into delectable, unconventional pop rock that is distinct to him. His latest track, “Wow,” is the latest example of that evolving Beck blueprint.
Beck released “Wow” this morning on Spotify after sharing a lot of teasers on Instagram. The track could almost be declared a departure; though he has dabbled in hip-hop before on his 1999 record Midnight Vultures Hansen quasi-raps over trap beats inside a massive pop production that’s big even by Beck standards. But he always does just enough to avoid the dreaded “appropriation†label. His rapping sounds more like Jack White’s punchy “Lazaretto†wails, and he maintains that faraway, just-woke-up quality of Morning Phase—the 2014 album that won him the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2014.
“Wow†is the second track from an upcoming, yet-unnamed album that, according to iHeartRadio, will arrive on October 21 via Capitol Records. Beck isn’t so sure, though, as he alluded in an interview with Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 radio show. “I mean, technically, I should have this record done by Friday,†he joked before adding, “You know, it’s done when it’s done…It’s done when they pry it out of my hands.â€
The new record will also include “Dreams,†the jangly garage rock, dance hybrid that Beck shared last June. Both tracks we’ve heard align Beck’s collagist tendencies and we can’t wait to hear the other directions he explores when the LP (hopefully) arrives this fall.
Until then, let us know what you think of “Wow†in the comments below.
Image:Â Third Man Records
