Beck has released Ride Lonesome, his first album in seven years, which critics view as a stunning conclusion to the melancholic trilogy begun with Sea Change (2002) and continued with Morning Phase (2014). The album emerges in the wake of the singer-songwriter's mid-50s malaise and follows his 2019 divorce, returning to the reflective, string-laden style long associated with his most acclaimed work, after his previous record, the synth-driven Hyperspace, deliberately avoided such introspection.

The album reunites key collaborators from Sea Change and Morning Phase, including producer Nigel Godrich, longtime backing musicians and orchestral arrangements by Beck's father, David Campbell, lending it a strong sense of continuity with those earlier records. Tracks such as the title song, Bleed and In the Night echo the influence of Nick Drake and evoke familiar lyrical themes of solitude and heartache, while songs like Slow Canyon and Falling Through My Hands are praised for their melodic quality. Despite similarities to his earlier heartache albums, reviewers say rigorous quality control, including years of reworking and discarding material, ensures Ride Lonesome avoids feeling repetitive or derivative.