When Beck Was Cool

VINYL FORMAT. When Beck Was Cool is a remarkable marriage of a gifted interpreter with inspiring material. You don't need to know the original Beck versions (though most will) to appreciate Jerome's interpretations which range from flirtatious forays into country-rock ("Got No Mind") to a melange of string and woodwind timbres, pianos and whistling ("Girl Dreams") that evokes his beloved Beatles as much as Beck. Joel Jerome has cemented his own humble reputation fronting the trippy Hawthorne, CA rock combo Dios, whose 2004 self-titled debut earned raves from Pitchfork for making California rock seem "a little less predictable."