All the Colors
Image by Nick M.W.
By R.J.F.
Is there any musical genre that Beck isn’t good at?
Over the years, Beck has put out an exceptional amount of work. His style is different on almost all of his albums. He has showcased his talent in making alternative songs, putting out r&b reminiscent jams, as well as producing morose and somber tunes. There is a hell of a lot to choose from, but I feel like Colors might be my favorite album.
I like to call it his “happy album”; 90% of the songs are upbeat. In fact, at the 2019 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance, but ended up winning the Best Alternative Music Album award instead. In my opinion, an album can’t be considered pop if it doesn’t get someone’s ass out of their seat and grooving around, which is what Colors pulls off.
The timeline of this album is confusing. The first single, “Dreams”, came out in 2015, but the entire album wasn’t released until two years later. Then, it was up for awards at the 2019 Grammys. I can’t seem to figure out what the strategy was in releasing one song off of the album, getting fans excited and looking forward to more new music, and then waiting two years to release the entire thing, but I guess there was a method to the madness.
The song itself is lively and danceable. A good portion of songs on this album have that danceability factor to them, so maybe they were setting up his fan base to expect a pop feel from Colors.
This might not make sense, but this song sounds like Southern California. Beck is a Los Angeles native, so it kind of fits that sunniness that people attribute with growing up in close proximity to the beach; “Dreams” brings the sunshine and waves.
“Up All Night” is a fun jam whose lyrics evoke a sense of teenage nostalgia. Those were the days when I had the time and energy to stay up into the morning hours having fun with my friends. This is definitely a song to play when I’m bopping around my kitchen, having a solo dance party.
The amount of instrumentation, both electric and acoustic, is astounding. Here is a short list: acoustic and electric guitars, synthesizer, piano, violin, drums, electric and upright bass. I mean, damn, that’s a heavy list of instruments! The arrangement is in perfect harmony throughout the entire song, with each instrument hitting perfect notes at just the right time, and a beat that just won’t quit.
Even though “Colors” wasn’t the first song released off of the album, it is the title track and the album’s opener. Having this song be first was an excellent choice. It sets the tone for what the listener is going to encounter: pop, dance, fun, lightness. It’s the complete opposite of his previous album, Morning Phase, which was almost all acoustic instruments and could almost be considered a country album. “Colors” completely obliterates that album’s sound and its feeling of loneliness.
When Beck sings:
Found our way through the lost years
And now the day brings it all here
All the colors, see the colors
Feel the colors, she says
See it in your eyes
It’s like he’s saying that whatever troubled him, whatever had brought him down, is now in the past, and it’s time to brighten up.
Simply speaking as a fan, Beck is a tremendously talented artist. Who would’ve thought that this skinny, little white boy from L.A. could be so multifaceted? Colors is another reminder that Beck can do almost anything as a musical artist, and whatever mood he’s trying to set, will be known every single time.
