A mere 18 months since Guero, his last original album and Beck is Back, this time with 15 lean and mean tracks packaged with do it yourself artwork and a bonus DVD of videos. All for a regular CD price.

It was just over a month ago he leaked some of these tracks online once again proving that he is one of if not the most consistently brilliant and prolific songwriters of our time. Utilizing the production skills of Brit rock producer Nigel Godrich (O.K. Computer)the album kicks off with the hit-worthy dance attack "Elevator Music," followed with pop friendly "Think I'm In Love" (not a remake of the Eddie Money hit), and the hip hop groove of "Cellphones Dead." After the rush of the discs initial hooks we are accosted by the piano laden meditations of "Strange Apparition," echoing "Sympathy For The Devil" and the Brazillian sounds of "Nausea."

The second half goes for a more experimental approach with the alt hip hop inspired "We Dance Alone" and "1000 BPM", the quiet majesty of "Movie Theme" and the sound collage of "The Horrible Fanfare/Landslide/Exoskeleton" that closes the album. The songwriting proves itself well in the second half. Still this is more of a groove oriented album, though set to decidedly conventional grooves.

Beck has proven himself time and again to be one of the most implacably ingenious forces of the music/art/video medium and it comes as no surprise – after all it's in his blood. His mother Bibi Hansen was a part of Andy Warhols' factory scene and his father, David Campbell is an established bluegrass musician. He strives to break new ground be it junk rap noise assaults (his early material), Dust Brothers produced Alt rock (Odelay), Moody and Surreal Psychedelia (Mutations) Space Funk (Midnight Vultures) or personal straightforward ballads (Sea Change). Either way you cut it or name it, Beck has left his mark and continues to blaze ahead.