Ever since his thrilling 1994 debut with Mellow Gold, each new Beck album was a genuine pop cultural event, since it was never clear which direction he would follow. Kicking off his career as equal parts noise-prankster, indie folkster, alt-rocker and ironic rapper, he's gone to extremes, veering between garishly ironic party music to brooding heartbroken Baroque pop, and this unpredictability is a large part of his charm, since each album was distinct from the one before.

He now operates with the skill and precision of a craftsman, never dumping too many ideas into one song, paring his words down to their essentials, mixing the record for a wider audience than just his friends. Consequently, Guero never is as surprising or enthralling as Odelay, but Beck is also not trying to be as wild and funny as he was a decade ago.

Beck will be touring all major cities in Australia, check out ticket availability and prices at www.ticketek.com.au

Find out more about Beck, his music, videos, galleries and a whole lot more at his website: www.beck.com

Before you see him in concert, make sure you've heard his latest album Guero. Pick it up here for only $29.95