Beck - GUEROLITO ((Vinyl))

On 2005's well-received GUERO, Beck succeeded in fluidly incorporating most of his musical personas--rhyme-ready rocker, wistful folk troubadour, funky white boy, etc. Later in the year, Beck released GUEROLITO, a track-by-track reinterpretation of the former record featuring remixes by various peers and admirers.
The 14-track outing, which also includes the frenetic non-album song "Clap Hands," begins with Homelife's "Ghost Range," a radical reworking of "E-Pro" that replaces a straightforward rock vibe with busy, burbling layers of added instrumentation, including cellos and violas. Longtime Beck friends Air and Adrock (of the Beastie Boys) also offer up winning contributions, with the former transforming "Missing" into the dreamy, synth-heavy "Heaven Hammer" and the latter tweaking "Black Tambourine" into the dub-like "Shake Shake Tambourine." Other highlights include Boards of Canada's shimmering take on "Broken Drum" and Diplo's "Wish Coin," which turns the bluesy "Go It Alone" into a shuffling dance track. While this dynamic disc stays true to Beck's adventurous aesthetic, it also takes his songs down intriguing (and sometimes unlikely) back roads, making it as fascinating and enjoyable as the original album.

• RSD Release Date: n/a
• Genre: Pop