A couple of months ago movie critic Adam Mast and myself had the amazing opportunity of seeing Beck at the 400 seat capacity Rose Wagner theater in Salt Lake. He was there performing solo, and performing mostly material from his (at the time forthcoming new release) Sea Change. What we received from that performance was awe inspiring. As if that weren't enough, the new album itself is flawless. Beck has never been one to write about his personal life. He's even been quoted as saying that music written about yourself is pretentious. Apparently though if you have your heart broken, it's very necessary and cathartic. Every song that fills up the 12 track album is rumored to be about his breakup with his long time girlfriend of 9 years, and boy does it show. Songs such as "Lonesome Tears," "Lost Cause" and "Already Dead" prove that not only is Beck wearing his emotions on his sleave, he's smeared them on permanently with the tears he's shed. "Paper Tiger" and "Sunday Sun" are such beautifully arranged songs, that they might be right up there with some of his best. This is by far Beck's most mature and understated record to date, and in a single word, brilliant.