Beck's 'Song Reader': Have you played it yet?

Since the mid-'90s, when he entered our lives with the plastic eyeballs and beefcake pantyhose, Beck has been a master of surprise.

Otherworldly lyrics and experimental sounds have always been a hallmark of Beck's music, with the possible exception of 2002's Sea Change. But even that straight-up saga of heartbreak and loss came as a shock to many (and I dare say it's one of his best records).

Beck's...