Never one to stand still, musically speaking, Beck's career so far has successfully mined the worlds of hip-hop, folk, electronica, funk, soul and rock; occasionally all into the same song. Somehow he has always seemed to be some way ahead of the pack which has led to earning him the reputation of being the master of all things "cool". Until 2002's 'Sea Change', though, he hadn't shown much heart but here was an album where Beck opened up and revealed he had feelings just like everybody else. Perhaps all too conscious of this, 'Guero' is a retreat back to the safe, louche stylings of old; more specifically, a return to the mid-90s' 'Odelay' period and even the Dust Brothers make a comeback on production duties. The results are rather mixed and one would struggle to find any of the last six songs comparing positively to the tracks on 'Odelay'. This is a shame as the middle section of this record is particularly strong; the unshakeable rhythm of 'Black Tambourine', the Beastie Boys-esque 'Hell Yes' whilst 'Missing' and 'Earthquake Weather' show that Beck hasn't completely dispensed with the vulnerable, human side to his vocals. Followers of his career so far, though, can be reassured that he is just as "cool" as ever.