Song of the Day - Beck: "Timebomb"

OK, first off, let me start by saying that I really wish I had posted more often the last week. I've been super busy lately and therefore this blog has suffered. Not that I have a huge audience that's waiting with baited breath for my next post, but it is hard to build up any audience at all if I don't keep things fresh around here. Anyway, on to the Song of the Day...

This one has been making the rounds lately around the blogosphere, which makes sense because anytime Beck releases a new single all the indie rock cool kids definitely take notice. I didn't mean for that to sound negative, because I am an unabashed fan of virtually everything Beck has put out over his lengthy career. On the contrary, Beck is one of the few artists around who has achieved such a desirable status that people instantly take notice whenever he has new material. You don't sit on a new Beck single for a couple days, you listen to it NOW.

It should come as no surprise that "Timebomb", available exclusively on iTunes (warning: link will open iTunes on your computer), is a hodgepodge of several different styles. There's Commodore 64-esque synths, robot blips and bleeps, a thunderous house bass line and a cast of unidentified characters clapping, chatting and singing na-na-na in the background. . .you know, just the kind of care-free craziness we've all come to expect from Mr. Hansen.

While this song is definitely meant to be listened to on a dance floor or a party, I think Beck might be saying something with the timing of the release. As I hear him sing "We've got a red alert/we cut the power and na-na-na-na" and "It's a timebomb ticking/a timebomb ticking/ going tic-tic-tic" I feel as though maybe Beck is asking us to enjoy the last days of Summer as much as possible before the weather changes and we all move the party back indoors.