Back in 2012, Beck returned from a lengthy hiatus with Song Reader, an album composed entirely of sheet music that could only be heard through performance. Since then, Beck has staged three different concerts, where he and a cavalcade of special guests performed the material live. Now, he’s finally ready to offer a companion album of recorded music, and he’s once more enlisted the help of some big-name talent.
Song Reader features tracks from Jack White, Jeff Tweedy, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, Laura Marling, and Eleanor Friedberger, as well as Beck himself. And in a fun twist, actor/musician Jack Black also contributed to the project, marking what’s surely the first time Jack White and Jack Black appear on the same record.
Song Reader is out today via Capitol Records and you can stream it in full below (via Spotify). Note: If the embed isn’t working, listen here.
Song Reader Tracklist:
01. Moses Sumney – Title of this Song
02. Fun – Please Leave A Light On When You Go
03. Tweedy – The Wolf is on the Hill
04. Norah Jones – Just Noise
05. Lord Huron – Last Night You Were A Dream
06. Bob Forrest – Saint Dude
07. Jack White – I’m Down
08. Beck – Heaven’s Ladder
09. Juanes – Don’t Act Like Your Heart Isn’t Hard
10. Laura Marling – Sorry
11. Jarvis Cocker – Eyes That Say “I Love You”
12. David Johansen – Rough On Rats
13. Jason Isbell – Now That Your Dollar Bills Have Sprouted Wings
14. The Last Polka – Marc Ribot
15. Eleanor Friedberger – Old Shanghai
16. Sparks – Why Did You Make Me Care?
17. Swamp Dogg – America, Here’s My Boy
18. Jack Black – We All Wear Cloaks
19. Loudon Wainwright III – Do We? We Do
20. Gabriel Kahane with Ymusic – Mutilation Rag
