Beck fans longing for the stripped-down, melancholic vibe of classic albums such as 2002 Sea Change will feel right at home with the artist’s new single “Thinking About You,” a beautifully sad, largely acoustic, harmonica-tinged ballad.
The track arrived earlier today (Feb. 10) on streaming services, but it’s unclear whether it presages a new album, which would be Beck’s first since 2019’s Grammy-winning Hyperspace. Beck has already played “Thinking About You” live on a handful of occasions in the past year since debuting it in December 2021 during a show at Largo in Los Angeles. He will also perform it on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Feb. 16.
“I pull the curtain / I lay in bed / I got 15 movies of you / Playing in my head / Chasing the moonlight / Watching the ocean turn blue / Just thinking about you,” Beck sings mournfully, later referencing how 40 roses couldn’t cover his grave and that there are “No crossing roads for me / For my soul to save.” He’s backed on the song by longtime collaborators Blake Mills (guitar, mandolin), Justin Meldal Johnsen (bass), and Roger Manning (keyboards).
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As previously reported, Beck and Phoenix are joining forces for the Summer Odyssey tour of arenas and amphitheaters. The outing begins Aug. 1 at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and wraps Sept. 10 at Merriweather Post Pavilion outside Washington D.C. Japanese Breakfast, Jenny Lewis, Weyes Blood, and Sir Chloe will serve as opening acts.
Beforehand, Beck has three Australian shows on tap in April and an appearance alongside Wilco, Bleachers, and Father John Misty at the High Water festival in Charleston, S.C., on April 15.
