As long as he doesn't go ape on Oprah, I'll do my best to be okay with Beck embracing Scientology. Though the pronouncement does color Guero to some degree, there are still a lot of signs on the album that he's a musician first, and has no intentions of marrying a Dawson's Creek Alum.

This song is one of those signs.

Beck has always been at his best when he drags pure pop into his arena, and musses it up a bit. With "Girl," he does it again. The verse, chorus, and bridge all sound true and precious. But add the breathless background vocals, and the whole song takes on this ethereal glow that elevates the entire listening experience. It probably also makes it radio-unfriendly, so you'll have to depend on other means to get a taste of this genius.

...and if picking up the L. Ron path leads to a Cruise-like future for Mr. Hanson, I guess we'd better enjoy those tastes while we have them. And, let's hope he doesn't have anything against Brooke Shields...

;-)