Beck Hansen is now, and has been for almost two decades, one of the most admirable voices in popular music. Admirable is the key word in that first sentence as his rapid genre Mutations, (see what I did there?), are consistently compelling, if not always brilliant. There have been various iterations of Hansen’s country-fried personality appearing in his work as early as Mellow Gold and Odelay, but “I Just Started Hating Some People Today,” might be the most straightforward country song he’s ever written… that is until it completely morphs into a psychotic freakout for the last minute and a half.
The first influence that came to mind was Jack White so it should come as no surprise to anyone that it is White himself who contributes the guitar work to this section of the song. Now the idea of White and Hansen teaming up for an album sounds amazing, (he’s been in a band with basically everyone else by now…), but their ideas need to blend together, not just be presented side by side. One could make the argument that this section was in fact forecasted by the scuzzy guitar line that opens up the song in its second verse, but it still doesn’t feel entirely necessary. Is he trying to be humorous? The almost Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire-esque end to the song makes this seem obvious, but it isn’t really all that funny.
Throughout Beck’s career, there has always seemed to be some sort of impetus for a shift in sound, but whereas depression paired with the melodicism of Sea Change brilliantly, violent anger doesn’t quite mesh with the plainly country aesthetic presented here. It is difficult to imagine that in the storied careers of Beck Hansen and Jack White, “I Just Started Hating Some People Today,” will end up as anything more than a curiosity and while it shouldn’t be avoided by those who adore these artists, it certainly wouldn’t be at the top of my list to share with the unconverted.
