On Beck’s New Album, You Play The Songs!

Beck’s next album is a bit unorthodox, to say the least. The avant garde artiste’s next album will be sheet music only, meaning that if you want to hear his newest music, you need to learn how to play a musical instrument. And then learn to read sheet music (the two are no longer mutually exclusive).

According to his website, Beck’s next album, Beck Hansen’s Song Reader, will be released in December, but not as a CD, vinyl record, or digital files. The entire album will be released as sheet music. “The Song Reader is an experiment in what an album can be at the end of 2012,” reads the official announcement on Beck’s website. “An alternative that enlists the listener in the tone of every track”—and for which “bringing [the songs] to life depends on you.” This is either the laziest thing we’ve ever heard of or the most genius.

McSweeny’s will be publishing the 20-song, 108-page album, which has the song booklets, a carrying case, unique artwork, and a foreword by Beck, reports Rolling Stone. We’ll stop calling it an album at this point and call it what it is. A book.

So what if you actually want to hear these songs, but don’t want to learn a musical instrument? Despite the statement saying that “bringing them to life depends on you,” the publishing house will post versions of the songs performed by musicians and readers on its website. This of course leaves the door open for Beck himself to post his interpretations (read: definitive) of the songs, but no word on that just yet.

Will you be buying Beck new album? Err… song book?