Title: Step backwards, intentionally
Product review: A deliberate step backward, and a deliberate nod to the critical consensus that Odelay is his best work, Guero doesn't sound nearly as fresh as it needs to. Most of the songs sound like leftovers from Odelay, while "Broken Drum" seems left over from Sea Change. While there is something almost appealing in an iconoclast paddling to the middle of the road, this does not make the record good listening. While just flat derivitive, dull tracks ("E-Pro," "Scarecrow") alternate with a few nice moments (notably the funky, catchy "Girl") and some perfectly passable, almost interesting songs ("Earthquake Weather," "Black Tambourine,") the primary approach: sound collage, scratching, and grab-bag of styles has not only been done before, and better, but its been done before and better by Beck himself.
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