6.12.09
9:12 pm
I've had this album for a few weeks (I downloaded a copy maybe four days before it came out...way to copyright protect, E...I think four days is a new record) and, although I haven't dedicated hours and hours of time to it, I think I'm formulating opinions.
First off, I had higher expectations because this was the last album to be released in this Summer of Music and it's eels, so I had a lot riding on it, but then again, I also had lower expectations because anything coming off of a four year wait and the most recent album (33 tracks, 2 disc, epic etc.) was going to be a bit of a let down.
Short answer: it's a good eels album, but only a few of the tracks are really notable; the rest are just "okay eels songs".
The problem is, with a 12 song, 40 minute album, if four of your songs aren't great, that's a third of the album.
Luckily, only three songs really don't jive with me. Of the other nine, three are excellent and the rest are merely good.
All in all, not a bad record, but...four years for twelve songs....arg.
Maybe a bit too lean.
Plus the fact that there's not a whole lot of production here makes everything feel even more sparse.
Some songs do have some cool elements here or there, but overall, this just sounds a bit...demo-y.
One or two more layers to most of these songs could have done them some good.
Long answer: Here's a track by track break down.
Prizefighter
This is one of the songs I don't really like.
Not for the content, more for the form.
It's bad "simple eels" as opposed to good "simple eels".
I mean, the whole album is pretty simple, but this one just doesn't have the notes in the right order for me.
The message is great though, "let me be there for you, I'll listen and help out", good feeling for an opener, but don't dig the sound.
That Look You Give That Guy
Perfect example of good "simple eels".
Not only that, but E is so wonderfully shy and vulnerable that you can't not "awww" at this song.
You want to see the girl in this song give him a chance.
Lilac Breeze
Ah...the rock, how E does love it.
A sweet love song with some nice straight up bass riffs and rock drums.
The twist at the end of each chorus adds some nice nuance to what could have been a simple song.
I also enjoy the backing harmonies.
That's what I'm talking about, it's spare, but not boring.
The lyrics are a bit simple, as are quite a few on the album, but the meaning comes through better without too many words...sometimes.
In My Dreams
One of my favorites.
Great "simple eels" song.
Sweet and sad, the very definition of a good eels track and the band itself.
Tremendous Dynamite
Man oh man was I excited when I saw this song title.
STOP JUDGING BOOKS BY THEIR COVERS.
The tempo really rubs me the wrong way.
And the repetition as well.
Some good lyrics here and there ("being the bomb is her birthright") but not enough to salvage the song.
Something kind of interesting starts to happen with the beat towards the end, but, again, not interesting enough.
Oh well, not every eels song can be perfect.
I enjoy the swagger behind the song, but not the song itself.
The Longing
Here we go.
Sad, beautiful and creepy, but in a totally relatable, understandable way.
I pity the person who hasn't felt this way about someone at some point in their lives.
It's a dark, yearning song that speaks of a pain that, if you haven't felt at one point or another, you've not truly lived or loved.
"...when I say I would die for her/it's not just words/I really would/and to make the world a safer place for her/well I believe I really could"
E might be one of the only artist's out there than can make that sound sincere.
"Her tears/her sorrow/her faults/her doubts/I love them all"
A perfect eels track.
Fresh Blood
Remember in the mid 90's, before you knew about mp3's and you would hear one track off a CD (the Radio Song) and then you'd go and buy that CD, only to find out that the Radio Song sounds NOTHING like the rest of the album or even the band itself?
Yeah, eels does that too.
Drum machines, dark synths, spooky echoes...this song is everything every other track on the album is not.
I was going to buy this album anyway, but to hear this as the first new eels song off the new album in four years? I'll admit, my hopes were misled up the ladder of expectation...by this song and this song alone.
Don't get me wrong, it really is great, just misleading.
I wonder if E ever planned to treat every song on the album to the "Fresh Blood" production...what an album THAT would have been...
What's A Fella Gotta Do
More rock.
Great little high energy track to bring you out of the mournful chill of "The Longing" and the creepy, red depths of "Fresh Blood".
Not a lot to the track, more flash than substance, but E does it well.
"You're so fine/If you were mine I'd love you up"
I would LOVE to be loved up; by E, by you, by anyone.
It sounds fun.
This should be a good one live.
My Timing Is Off
Ack.
I really do not like this song.
Something so b-side and throw off about it.
It's just bland is all, no interesting music or style or lyrics.
Instant skip.
All The Beautiful Things
This song is just a few steps above the blandness that spoiled "My Timing Is Off".
It's just too sweet and heartfelt to ignore.
Not the sweetest or most heartfelt eels song, but it counts for something.
Also the strings help.
It is my opinion that most songs can be made better with strings.
Especially eels' songs.
Beginner's Luck
A happy bouncer of a song with a jaunty gait and a fun li'l bass line.
Nothing so amazing about it, but it's a solid track.
Yeah.
Ordinary Man
A truly fitting eels album closer.
Honestly, it reminds me of Xanthus' "Go It Alone Song" from People Are Wrong.
I'm sure that helps everyone.
A sad, hopeful recitation made by a guy who's tried eleven different approaches.
Here he's just listing the facts and waiting for an answer.
No characters, no bluster, just "here I am, here's why we should be together, give me a chance and you'll see for yourself".
Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't.
You want it to, but nice guys don't often finish first.
I can't really tell if this is an album for people who are in safe, stable, happy relationships or for those who aren't.
On one hand, those in relationships might appreciate the fiction but they might not latch onto the sincerity.
On the other hand, those not in relationships, who might relate too closely to our narrator might get lost in the intricacies of it all.
There are some powerful emotions expressed here and, if you're in the wrong state of mind, that could result in disaster.
Again, this is a good eels album, a bit lean after the feast of Blinking Lights, but not so lacking in substance as to not count as a meal.
I am, however, already getting my hopes up for the other new eels album, the second of two E wrote during his four year absence, so I guess that doesn't say too much for this one.
It's simple and beautiful at times, but a bit too simple at others.
One or two more layers would have made this a better album.
No comments:
Post a Comment