Beck will return to his acoustic-leaning roots with his album, Ride Lonesome, which is arriving September 18 via Capitol Records. The project reunites the songwriter with the musicians from his album Morning Phase, signaling a deliberate pivot away from the electronic-heavy production of his 2019 release, Hyperspace.
A Return to Atmospheric Soundscapes
The upcoming record, Ride Lonesome, follows the April release of its title track, "Ride Lonesome." The track serves as a sonic bridge to the artist’s previous work on Sea Change and Morning Phase. According to Beck’s official announcement, the recording sessions took place at Room B of United Studios in Hollywood—the same facility where he tracked Morning Phase a decade ago.
Beck described the experience as a deepening of musical chemistry. "It felt like the playing and the chemistry had evolved and deepened," Beck noted in a statement. "While we were revisiting a musical and physical place, it also felt like we were finding new sounds and emotional textures along the way."
Reunited Collaborators and Production
The new material features the return of an ensemble, including Smokey Hormel, Joey Waronker, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Roger Joseph Manning Jr., and Jason Falkner. This group provided the backbone for the atmospheric sound that defined Morning Phase.
For the track "In the Night," Beck reunited with longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich, who handled the mixing. The song, a meditation on late-night introspection, is accompanied by a cinematic music video directed by Mikai Karl and featuring French actor Denis Lavant, known for his roles in Beau Travail and Mauvais Sang.
The Road Ahead for Beck
Following the release of the album, Beck is scheduled to begin the Ride Lonesome tour on September 16 in Vancouver. This tour follows his recent string of appearances at the "Music of Wes Anderson" tribute concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, where he performed covers ranging from Love’s "Alone Again Or" to Elliott Smith’s "Needle in the Hay."
Tracklist for Ride Lonesome
The album consists of 12 tracks, moving away from the synthetic textures explored on his previous record, Hyperspace:
- Ride Lonesome
- Run Away
- In the Night
- Failed Words
- Bleed
- Disappearing Act
- For Your Love
- Slow Canyon
- It Ends Right Here
- Falling Through My Hands
- If You Don’t Know What Love Is
- Beyond the Light
Key Details
- Release Date: September 18
- Label: Capitol Records
- Tour Kickoff: September 16, Vancouver
- Primary Influences: Sea Change, Morning Phase