Hyperspace – Beck ★½

Year	Album	Artist	Stars	Score	Genre
2019	Hyperspace	Beck	★½	37	Rock	Alternative Rock	Synthpop

I really like Beck, and I really, really like Pharrell. So understand when I say I really, really, really don’t like Hyperspace — Beck’s 2019, Pharrell produced record — I don’t say it from a place of negative bias or hate.

Hyperspace just is not a good record of music. Apparently pairing two quirky veteran artists together — both with very distinct styles — might not always be a good idea. 

Instead of complementing one another, the two musicians feel like they’re trying too hard to make the Beckisms and Pharrellisms stand out. It sounds like they’re having fun on the record, but the result is mostly flat, synthetic vocals from Beck and watered-down electronic, vaporwave-mimicking production by Pharrell.

“Saw Lightnight” is the only song where the fusion of both artists feels natural. Unfortunately it isn’t a very good song, and comes across like a knock-off Ed Sheeran beat from 2014.

Almost everything else sounds like a corny, high school sci-fi stage production. Throughout, Beck sings as if he’s performing showy feature vocals — which he’s done successfully on indie and electronic albums from time to time in the past with Flume, M83, The Chemical Brothers, Gorillaz and Air.  But that presence doesn’t really work the same way on his own albums. 

Similarly, Pharrell leans much more into soundboards influenced by his time with N.E.R.D. and Daft Punk, leaving most of his hip-hop background behind. For a lot of the album, ambient computer elements are hidden under these epic, anthemic synths and vocals.

The music itself honestly sounds fine, professional and complete, but the total package is off, and the pairing doesn’t stir any excitement or joy. Even if the elements aren’t all that bad, it’s often times worse to be boring or disappointing.

It’s a weird choice, considering Beck usually loves pretending to rap over drums and bass. Why recruit Pharrell to begin with if you aren’t going to use him right? If Beck wanted to make a pop or electronic-influencer album, he could have used any number of better-equipped producers.