Alt rock god Beck returned to form this year with his new album Morning Phase. The “companion” to 2002’s Sea Change, Morning Phase has spawned the acclaimed singles “Blue Moon”, “Waking Light”, and the latest, “Heart is a Drum” — which gets a terrific new music video you can watch below. Utilizing images of God, the Grim Reaper, and, of course, astronauts, the video finds Beck in a mellow mood as he revisits a long-abandoned house from his childhood, whilst peripheral demons (or memories?) wrestle for his soul. It’s all shot with the kind of black-and-white cinematography that would make Fellini or Ingmar Bergman smile, but Beck injects just the right amount of whimsy to remove any accusations of pretension.

Beck also appeared last night on The Colbert Report, where he performed “Heart is a Drum” and “Heaven’s Ladder.” He chatted with host Stephen Colbert about how he thinks Jack White and Jeff Tweedy perform his songs much better than he does. He also admitted his new album is “good for massages and aromatherapy,” and referred to his music as “gentle dub cool-out lounge banjo.” After Colbert questioned his apparent melancholia, Beck said he needed a hug, and the host obliged.

Too cute. Here’s the interview:

What do you think of Morning Phase? What’s your favorite track? Let us know in the comments below.

[HT: Pitchfork]