Nothing in Beck's discography hinted at an album like this at its time of release. Beck, for most of his career, has had a reputation as a genre-mixing, mostly electronic artist with an ironic sense of humor. And while he has done mostly acoustic work in the past (One Foot in the Grave, Mutations), few would have expected him to be capable of a heart-wrenching folk-ish album with exotic flourishes. The fact that Sea Change was preceded by something of an excessive, satirical party album makes the change even more unexpected.

Sea Change manages to be glorious, beautiful, and melancholy. Despite being a breakup album, none of it is depressing. From the intimate strumming of the opening of "The Golden Age," it becomes apparent that Sea Change is not like any other Beck album released to date.

The production, done by Nigel Godrich (known for Radiohead's OK Computer) is an accomplishment in itself. Every minute detail, no matter how subtle or in the background comes in clearly. Over time, the effect of the sheer number of things happening in a seemingly simple song like "Lost Cause" becomes intoxicating. The chimes, strings, light drums and layers of acoustic guitar create a beautiful soundscape that lasts for the whole album.

And that's not to mention the vocals. The deep, heartbroken vocals Beck delivers are the best of his career to date. They beautiful, sad lyrics are given proper treatment by his low, emotional tone. The intentionally mawkish falsetto of "Debra" (the closing track of Midnite Vultures) and the electronically processed voices of "Get Real Paid" are not to be found here. Replacing them is a gentle, intimate croon that moans and sings with genuine heartbreak.

As one Amazon (or Barnes and Noble, I don't know; there are literally hundreds of reviews on each site) reviewer put it, (paraphrased "Sea Change is the first record released by Beck Hansen. Everything before it was released by Beck." Beck's masterful songwriting has hit a new peak with this album. While genre-hopping of Odelay is gone (for now), everything that makes Beck's music worth listening to more than once is up at the forefront.

If this wasn't the best album of 2002, then 2002 was an exceptionally great year. If this wasn't one of the top 5 best albums of 2002, then something is seriously wrong with that list.