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The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-09-18 · by Barry Divola, Ben Madden
Music critic Barry Divola reviews Beck's new album, noting that it reprises his melancholic style from 2002's "Sea Change" but lacks the emotional depth and innovation of its predecessor. Songs like "Ride Lonesome" echo past work without bringing fresh elements to the table. Meanwhile, Robert Baxter’s EP PARTYANIMAL is praised for its thumping beats and celebratory lyrics that explore vulnerability within a club setting, with tracks such as "I <3 Girls" and "BRB" highlighting both community and personal challenges faced by the artist.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Beck, known for his eclectic music style, recently released "Hyperspace", his first album in seven years. Critics are noting a return to the somber tone of his 2002 album "Sea Change" rather than embracing new directions. The new track "The Golden Age" mimics previous work with reverb-heavy melodies and nostalgic lyrics, while other songs like "In the Night" feature strings reminiscent of Nick Drake’s music. Songs such as "It Ends Right Here," with its sentimental strumming, are seen as derivative of Coldplay's sound. Despite using his usual band and familiar musical setup, many feel this latest album lacks originality and depth compared to his earlier works that were praised for their innovation and emotional honesty.
Written for “Beck's Music Career” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Beck, Ride Lonesome
★★
Beck has always been at his best when taking sharp turns, veering from warped lo-fi to hip-hop-influenced indie rock to slinky funk.
asserted
Beck → ride → funk
So when the US singer-songwriter released 2002’s Sea Change, a sincere song cycle of genuine heartbreak, it was a revelation from a guy who had previously been pretty wry.
asserted
who → release → guy
He’s returned to that mode since then, on 2014’s less convincing Morning Phase, and now he’s gone there again on his first album in seven years.
asserted
he → return → years
And, sadly, it’s a case of diminishing returns.
asserted
it → ’ → returns
The title track is a pale facsimile of 2002’s The Golden Age, from the reverb-soaked melancholia to the high-plains drifter lyrics.
asserted
track → soak → lyrics
The low-hanging strings of In the Night repeat his past Nick Drake obsessions, while It Ends Right Here, with sugar-sweet strumming and give-me-a-hug lines such as “All these people that you knew, all these cities you walk through, all this time it took to find you”
asserted
it → hang → you
He’s assembled the same band from back in the day and worked with a similar musical template, but too many of the songs remain stagnant, replicating the sonics but lacking the soul.
asserted
many → assemble → soul
“I don’t know where I’m going, but it feels like I’ve been here before,” Beck sings on Bleed.
asserted
Beck → know → Bleed
He sure has – and he’s done it better.
asserted
he → have → it
From the opening seconds of Robert Baxter’s new EP, you’re transported into the sweatiest, most exclusive nightclub you can imagine.
asserted
you → open → nightclub
Thumping beats are the order of the day, and if you’re a lover of basslines, you’ll be in heaven (one that is downright debaucherous).
asserted
that → thump → heaven
I <3 Girls is a celebration of the trans girls and queer girls in Robert’s life and is begging to be played at countless pre-drinks.
asserted
Girls → beg → drinks
In Nameless, they embracing anonymity while partying on the other side of the globe, a canonical event for many Australian 20-somethings.
asserted
they → embrace → somethings
It would be easy to write off PARTYANIMAL as the latest in a long line of Australian pop projects that has wholeheartedly embraced clubbier sounds.
asserted
that → write → sounds
However, at the heart of the EP lies a sincerity, with their lyricism revealing a more vulnerable side.
asserted
lyricism → lie → side
BRB is a response to a music industry figure trying to undermine them, while closer Sky City pays tribute to the community they’ve built around themself, far from their origins growing up in rural Victorian town Shepparton.
asserted
they → try → Shepparton
PARTYANIMAL is the type of project begging to be played at Berghain.
asserted
PARTYANIMAL → beg → Berghain
It’s best listened to with the lights off and well after a typical bedtime has passed.
asserted
bedtime → listen → ?
- Tove Lo: She’s long spun art out of provocation.
asserted
She → spin → provocation
Now pop’s messiest star is contemplating motherhood and domesticity.
asserted
star → contemplate → motherhood
- Adela: Missing out on Katseye was the best thing to happen to this rising pop star.
asserted
Missing → miss → star
- Jem Cassar-Daley: How the daughter of a country music icon became one of Australia’s sharpest pop songwriters.
asserted
daughter → become → songwriters
- Slayyyter: After a decade in the doldrums, she was on the verge of quitting music.
asserted
she → quit → music
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