- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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I’m convinced that Beck Hansen has a few more good albums in him. One thing’s for sure, though: The Information isn’t one of them.
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However annoying it sounds, give The Information a chance. By the time Horrible Fanfare rolls around, 15 numbers in, you'll be too dazed to resist.
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Information ultimately suffers from the same hollowness that weakened Guero, but it's bolder at its best and less derivative of previous victories.
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Under The RadarEven though The Information is neither a leap forward or nearly as exceptional as his previous collaborations with Godrich, it does serve as hope that Beck still has some great work ahead of him. [#15]
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The Information is as creative, tuneful and interesting as you could wish from an established artist.
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MojoThe latter tracks sink into Beck-by-numbers fare. [Nov 2006, p.100]
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UncutThe Information often feels hygienised and missing some grit. [Nov 2006, p.100]
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Urb[Contains] scattered but affecting shots of brilliance. [Oct 2006, p.117]
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Q MagazineThe Information... is hamstrung by the sensation that, though Beck likes rapping, he has little to say beyond smart-alec one-liners. [Nov 2006, p.138]
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The bubbly cartoon funk of single Cell Phone's Dead is a winner, but tracks like 1000 BPM and We Dance Alone are mid-paced, cautiously funky numbers with neither the bare sentiment of Sea Change nor the ribald lunacy of Hansen’s late-90s bombs.
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Without the bizarre lyrical invention and fuck-shit-up whimsy of his earlier work, Beck's attempts at party jams come off woefully overwrought and flat, making the darker bits interspersed throughout seem intriguing by default.
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BlenderAssured but tame. [Nov 2006, p.139]
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[The songs] demand reconstruction that can only come from multiple listens. Unfortunately, the initial impact of the record is so muted that only an artist as challenging and road-tested as Beck warrants such effort.
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Despite his penchant for experimentation, much of his material remains accessible to casual listeners, even when he turns toward the self-indulgent.
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Yet for all the headphone-worthy sounds, the pace seldom rises above a back-porch feel and, at times, the stickers meant for customizing the cover seem like more fun than the music.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 95 out of 112
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Mixed: 8 out of 112
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Negative: 9 out of 112
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mikes.Oct 5, 2006
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Mar 2, 2018
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Feb 19, 2012