Modern Guilt
by Beck
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 98 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 98
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 98
  3. Negative: 2 out of 98

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  1. thehamster
    Jan 18, 2009
    5
    This album was for sure a letdown after The Information....Modern Guilt has a couple of good moments but it suffers from being WAY overproduced. I sorely missed his band on these songs and would think a little more life could have went into this if they were present. Danger Mouse for sure brought some ideas, but 10 songs of them in a row sounded a lot alike. Not horrible, but not up to This album was for sure a letdown after The Information....Modern Guilt has a couple of good moments but it suffers from being WAY overproduced. I sorely missed his band on these songs and would think a little more life could have went into this if they were present. Danger Mouse for sure brought some ideas, but 10 songs of them in a row sounded a lot alike. Not horrible, but not up to normal Beck standards. What made the Information so good is what is missing here.....variety. Back to the drawing board Beck.....remember to bring the band next time.… Expand
  2. Giterdone
    Jul 9, 2008
    4
    Ok Beck, you went from Nigel's beautiful hi-fi crisp and bright production to the mudd, hissy, lo-fi production of Danger Mouse. Bad choice man. This is your most disappointing release.
  3. KurtC.
    Aug 30, 2008
    6
    Beck's musical slump continues. It's really a tragedy because he was on such a prolific ride with every album he released from 1994 and 1996's modern classics "Mellow Gold" and "Odelay," respectively, to 1998's stunning off-roader "Mutations," on to 1999's eclectic grower "Midnite Vultures," and finally to his career's pinnacle, 2002's depressingly Beck's musical slump continues. It's really a tragedy because he was on such a prolific ride with every album he released from 1994 and 1996's modern classics "Mellow Gold" and "Odelay," respectively, to 1998's stunning off-roader "Mutations," on to 1999's eclectic grower "Midnite Vultures," and finally to his career's pinnacle, 2002's depressingly beautiful "Sea Change". The gossip around "Sea Change" was the love of his life broke his heart and out came his most raw, honest and ingenious work of art. It also drained him of everything he had left. Since then, Beck has struggled to create anything that can touch the greatness of any of his previous work. This year's "Modern Guilt" continues to see the decline of Beck and it really saddens me. I saw Beck on his "Sea Change" tour at Wolf Trap and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. He was ON and his band really helped carry him. Fast-forward a few years later to 2005's "Guero" tour at The Patriot Center and it was like night and day. Beck could barely perform the last half of his set. He didn't even MOVE. His stage hands had to switch his guitars on and off him, step on his effects pedals for him, and basically act as his crutch just to get him through. There was no encore which is unheard of for a headliner. That's the feeling and impression I get with Beck's latest albums and now with "Modern Guilt"...he's just barely getting by and simply fulfilling his contractual obligations. Not that there aren't some diamonds in the rough here (certainly not his best songs ever, but they're relatively good), such as "Orphans," "Gamma Ray" and title track "Modern Guilt," but the bus stops there. The remaining seven tracks meander off into cruise control, letting producer DJ Danger Mouse seemingly take full control thereby giving "Modern Guilt" a disappointingly un-Beck feel. What is the Beck feel you ask? Listen to the range of experimentation going on with every album before "Guero": boldly diving into multiple genres with a keen ear for melody, funk, folk, and mischievousness. Beck doesn't seem to be having fun anymore, not that "Sea Change" was a fun album...far from it, but it had soul. That's what's lacking from post-Sea Change Beck for me and I really want him back. Snap out of it, buddy. Please.… Expand
  4. RioG.
    Jul 16, 2008
    4
    Very disappointing. If it wasn't Beck I wouldn't give it a second listen. Boring.
  5. AshleyM.
    Sep 22, 2008
    6
    Yes, Beck has a new album. If you like Guero and The Information this is apparently a continuation of the themes he's used for awhile. Its a solid album and Danger Mouse is a competent producer but since Sea Change Beck has mellowed out considerably. The things that I have always loved about him are strangely absent. There is still some absurd and surreal lyrics but the playfulness Yes, Beck has a new album. If you like Guero and The Information this is apparently a continuation of the themes he's used for awhile. Its a solid album and Danger Mouse is a competent producer but since Sea Change Beck has mellowed out considerably. The things that I have always loved about him are strangely absent. There is still some absurd and surreal lyrics but the playfulness is gone. Beck has become a serious individual. There are some really good standout tracks like the opening track "Orphans", "Gamma Ray", "Modern Guilt" and "Walls". A lot of the album is sad and has an ethereal quality which I would compare to the slower Gnarls Barkley tracks. If you are depressed in any way I would suggest NOT listening to this album. There are heavy themes of death which pervade the entire record. I would suggest Modern Guilt to only the hardcore fans of the post Sea Change Beck albums.… Expand
  6. Jean-PhilippeD.
    Sep 25, 2008
    5
    Very surprisingly, it's the first Beck album I cannot play all at once and teh times in a row. Actually it's the first Beck album I've never played in its entirety. It's over produced and far from being in touch with the artist himself. It sounds like everything but Beck. Sadly the title of the album was engaging enough, but it seems the production methods of Mr Brian Very surprisingly, it's the first Beck album I cannot play all at once and teh times in a row. Actually it's the first Beck album I've never played in its entirety. It's over produced and far from being in touch with the artist himself. It sounds like everything but Beck. Sadly the title of the album was engaging enough, but it seems the production methods of Mr Brian Burton did nothing to pull it off the junk basket. It's way over produced. One needs to establish whether the album is a showcase of Danger Mouse's potential or Beck's genius... Maybe it's neither of them.… Expand
  7. DJGavvyJ
    Dec 17, 2015
    6
    As a standalone album, Modern Guilt works okay. As a follow up to The Information though, the album is supremely disappointing. There a few stand performances for me that bookend the album, but the middle feels too overproduced, detached from the sound that is established early on in the album. Every time I thought the album would go back to the tight rock sound of the first two songs, theAs a standalone album, Modern Guilt works okay. As a follow up to The Information though, the album is supremely disappointing. There a few stand performances for me that bookend the album, but the middle feels too overproduced, detached from the sound that is established early on in the album. Every time I thought the album would go back to the tight rock sound of the first two songs, the album continued to disappoint. The other songs aren't bad, they're just too overproduced and too different to really enjoy in the context of the album. A lackluster outing for both Beck and Danger Mouse.… Collapse

Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Most Discussed Album of 2008
38
#38 Most Shared Album of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. AllMusic
    80
    Here, they [Beck and Danger Mouse] deliver enough substance and style to make Modern Guilt an effective dosage of 21st century paranoia.
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  2. Drowned In Sound
    70
    It sits alone in his cannon as being slightly uncomfortable but in turn is a brilliantly concise work (it runs to a little over 30 minutes).
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  3. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Burton makes the ultimate endgame sound like a party you'd still want to be invited to--one that even Beck might enjoy, despite himself.
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