Upbeat latest from well-travelled singer-songwriter.
“A Mostly Quiet Life” is something of a hybrid album. Most of the songs were written between 2010 and 2012 when Beck lived in Portland. During a break in touring, he mentioned to his friends and bandmates Ryan Spellman (drums), Jesse Bates (bass) and Thor Jensen (guitar) that he had a group of songs he wanted to record and quickly laid down the basic tracks as demos in a single afternoon in Jon Burbank’s basement.
When Beck was stuck at home during COVID, he lost two heroes in 2020: John Prine and Jerry Jeff Walker. As a tribute to them, he recorded some lesser-known songs of theirs: ‘Blue Umbrella’ and ‘Every Drop of Water’, doing all the parts in his home studio in Brooklyn.
During the process, he stumbled upon the original recordings from 2012 and knew he needed to revisit them. Working with Joel Arnow to mix the tracks, Beck sang the final vocal parts and asked Michael Bellar (keyboards) and Charly Lemmons (backing vocals) to add their parts to the original demos.
“ A Mostly Quiet Life” comprises eight songs, with the two covers providing the last track on each side of the record. Opener ‘This Year’ is a light rocker characterised by the lead guitar and the woah-oh-oh chorus. The verses pose a series of questions while the refrain acknowledges changes. Second track, ‘Girl On My Mind’, is something of a country rocker with an intro nudging Poco or the early Eagles as Beck muses on love and a girl. ‘Cast’ has a perky beat and showcases Bellar’s piano. Another love song, the guitar adds some sweet fills while an organ wells in the chorus.
Side one closer and the first of the covers is ‘Every Drop Of Water’. Written by Allen Shamblin and Steve Seskin and performed by Walker on his “Gonzo Stew” album (2001), it is a wistful tune with a reflective chorus “, We’re all diamonds in the rough / We’ll all shine soon enough/ Struggles in this life can make you strong” concluding “every drop of water shapes a stone”.
Side 2 returns to the rocking theme with ‘Biblical Fence’, in which Beck sets out his stall with the target of his affection encouraging them to get off the fence because “I wanna know you in the biblical sense”. Jensen’s guitar lets rip with some fine slide and lead work. ‘Bright Failure’ dates back to 2006 and Beck’s move to Portland from the Midwest to advance his music career. The “polysynth percussion” reference fits the time while Bellar’s keys fill out the sound. ‘Prairie Town’ is slower-paced with guitar and organ gently bedding the vocal and the chorus harmonies. Beck contrasts place, ambition, achievement and emotion, reflecting how he’s ‘Been thinking way too much”, but concluding “keep your eyes wide open, everything will be fine”.
Album closer and the second cover /tribute is ‘Blue Umbrella’, which featured on Prine’s 1973 release “Sweet Revenge”. Beck goes for lusher accompaniment compared with the original, but you can hear a tribute played with love.
Beck’s “A Mostly Quiet Life” will only be available this side of the Atlantic via download or streaming unless fans want to pay out for intercontinental postage and whatever tariff regime is in force when delivery takes place.
