Beck Releases Ride Lonesome: First Album in Seven Years Is a Masterpiece

After seven years of silence as a studio artist, Beck is back with Ride Lonesome, his fifteenth studio album. The twelve track record has already been called one of the finest albums of 2026 by critics, and perhaps the best thing Beck has delivered in years. Anyone who wrote him off after his last studio album is in for a surprise.

Ride Lonesome is a distinctly melancholic album, rooted in folk that occasionally leans toward country, giving it a pronounced American feel. The personal backstory is no secret: in 2021 Beck divorced actress Marissa Ribisi, and that split has left deep marks on the music. Even so, the songs never get stuck in self pity. Beck sings, according to reviewers, with a quality that is both fragile and self assured, and the mood of the album recalls the early seventies, with possible influences from British folk singer Nick Drake, though it lacks the jazzy swing that characterizes Drake's work.

For the recordings Beck returned to the musicians he had previously made his most acclaimed work with: Smokey Hormel, Joey Waronker, Justin Meldal Johnsen, Roger Joseph Manning Jr. and Jason Falkner. They also played on Sea Change from 2002, as well as Morning Phase and Mutations. Nigel Godrich, who produced Sea Change and Mutations, handled the mix this time around. On top of that, David Campbell, Beck's father, once again took care of the arrangements, just as he did on Sea Change. Despite the presence of a full orchestra, Ride Lonesome sounds remarkably intimate and tender.

The comparison with Sea Change presents itself in more than one way. Both albums came out of periods of personal heartbreak, were made with largely the same lineup, and share the same sorrowful tone. Sea Change has long been considered one of Beck's finest achievements, and Ride Lonesome seems to match that reputation. Even on a first listen the album feels familiar, as if it has always been there.

Beck is supporting the release with a tour running through to the end of October. Dutch fans hoping to catch him perform nearby would do well to keep an eye on the concert listings.