Over the course of his two-decade career, Beck Hansen has made a habit of moving between a handful of distinct musical styles. From the off-kilter funk of Midnite Vultures and Odelay to the mostly straightforward folk of Mutations and Sea Change, the idea of devoting entire albums to specific styles has always worked to his advantage.

With his last two releases, Guero (2005) and The Information (2006), Beck opted to dissolve the barriers between his various incarnations. The outcome was a pair of albums that were largely underwhelming in spite of an abundance of promising moments. While Modern Guilt is far from homogeneous, it is uniformly executed through a rich haze of ’60s psychedelic pop, infusing the LP with a much-needed sense of continuity and heralding Beck's long-awaited return to form.

One factor contributing to this change of course was the influence of the album's producer, the work-obsessed DJ Danger Mouse, whose collaboration with bands like Sparklehorse, The Rapture and The Black Keys has been lauded as some of the industry's best. On Modern Guilt, he reins in the sprawl, presenting a lean collection of 10 potential singles that clocks in at just over half an hour. Juxtaposing just enough synthetic whirs against an analogue background of warm fuzz and tape hiss, the mix provides a perfect setting for Beck's wry vocals.

Much more than just a collection of ’60s throwbacks, Modern Guilt unabashedly draws on a long list of influences. While the lead single “Chemtrails” recalls Greek prog-rockers Aphrodite's Child's concept album 666, it also calls to mind the epic fade-ins and drum sequences favoured by Caribou. Elsewhere, Beck borrows sonic textures from his peers and affectionately works them into new gems. The upbeat “Profanity Prayers,” for example, features a guitar hook with distortion that will sound strikingly familiar to anyone who's heard Radiohead's recent “Bodysnatchers,” and the glitchy “Replica” is backed by a bit of braindance that wouldn't be out of place on an old Aphex Twin record. On two of the album's best tracks, “Orphans” and “Walls,” Beck's ironic tone is nicely counterbalanced by the smooth guest vocals of Chan Marshall, a.k.a. Cat Power.

While it would be a stretch to place Modern Guilt in the same ballpark as classic Beck albums, it avoids a third straight disappointment, and it will be a welcome addition to many record collections.