Note: The album was produced by Danger Mouse, who’s known best for his production work as a member Gnarls Barkley and on albums like Gorillaz Demon Days.

Sound: A mix of punchy, tight grooves and woozy, trippy chill-outs that feature a patchwork of jangly acoustic guitars, chugging electric riffs, hypnotic organs, skittering electronic beats, grandiose orchestration, floating background vocals and more. Over these various, often looped, backdrops, Beck sings loose, distorted rockers and somber, airy ballads with strong melodies. He doesn’t indulge his tendency for his slacker, stream-of-consciousness raps.

Heavy Rotation tracks: “Volcano”; “Chemtrails”; “Youthless”

Medium Rotation tracks: “Gamma Ray”; “Modern Guilt”; “Orphans”

Recommended: The Beck/Danger Mouse collaboration makes a whole lot of sense on paper and the pair of music visionaries delivers the goods. Modern Guilt has a healthy mix of upbeat and melancholy moods, an exciting collage of sounds and just enough memorable tunes.

Grade: A- (Top 20 Albums of 2008 Candidate)