Top 12 Albums of 2014: Beck — Morning Phase

This is perfect yoga music.

I know, I know. “Yoga music” has negative connotations: innocuous, fluffy, new-agey background tunes, right? Sure, it can be, but in this case, it’s high praise. I’m really serious about both my yoga (teaching, practicing) and my music, and truly good yoga music requires substance and quality construction. It’s harder to find than you think.

This album checks all the boxes. Its beats are steady and just forceful enough to propel you forward, without being pushy. Short instrumental breaks and songs (“Cycle” and “Phase”) provide space for pure contemplation. Each song has a definitive direction; no wandering here. It builds, crescendos, and reaches a resolution. There’s just enough repetition within each track to mirror a flow without ever being boring.

Ribbons of strings, chimes and occasional pedal steel gently weave through the melodies. Dreamy background vocals provide the right atmosphere and add textural interest. Lyrically and rhythmically, “Heart Is a Drum” is a natural fit for a yoga practice, but honestly, they all work quite well.

Or, a non-yoga summary: This record has drawn repeated comparisons to Sea Change, and sure, it’s way more Sea Change-y than, say, Mellow Gold-y. But while there’s certainly weight and introspection in the lyrics, the mood is a little lighter, more ethereal, maybe even (slightly) buoyant. Morning Phase is quite the apt title.

Note 1: This Top 12 list is not ranked. It’s generally a good idea to have 2014 coverage be published in 2014. Before Christmas, even. If I had to rank these, we wouldn’t be done until next August.

Note 2: More on the “Put Your Money Where Your Typing Is” selection methodology here. Short version: These are the 12 albums I bought on CD/vinyl/both this year.