Beck Previews Heartrending New Song "Blue Moon"
Beck has previously stated that his new LP Morning Phase is a "companion piece" to 2002's critically acclaimed melancholic masterpiece Sea Change, and the preview of new song "Blue Moon" supports that claim in every sense.
The minute and a half long song snippet is featured in a trailer for Morning Phase, which shows the process of pressing the album onto vinyl and (finally!) reveals an official release date: Feb 25.
And if the world wasn't already impatient enough about this album's release (it's Beck's first since 2008), waiting just got a lot harder as "Blue Moon" is a staggeringly beautiful return to form.
"Moon" is a heartrending ode to loneliness that moves in wave after gorgeous wave of nuanced, impassioned vocals and woozy but precise guitar work set against a full wall of sound.
The similarities "Blue Moon" has with tracks from Sea Change might have something to do with the fact that the song was originally written back in 2005, not long after Change's release.
In November, Beck revealed to Rolling Stone that several of the tracks for his new LP, including "Blue Moon," were cut years ago when he headed to Nashville to record an album that didn't end up materializing.
"At the end of it, it wasn't quite there," he said. "But I ended up keeping a few songs [for Morning Phase]."
But perhaps the impetus for releasing a song so tragic now has something to do with his recently revealed struggle with severe back pain.
The "Paper Tiger" singer spoke out about the reason behind his hiatus from music to an Argentinean news site a couple months ago.
"I had severe damage to my spine, but now it’s improving so I’m back in the music," he said. "It was a long, long recovery. Lately I concentrated on playing guitar. Do not think I can move again as before, although I can give a lot onstage.”
Beck also revealed that he would not be releasing Morning Phase on Spotify due to concerns about equitable pay and sound quality.
But after hearing "Blue Moon," we doubt you'll have too much of an issue with forking over twelve bucks.
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