Eels : EELS TIME!

Mark Oliver Everett has quietly amassed an impressive discography over the last 30 years, first with two albums under the moniker ‘E’ and then in 1996 debuting EELS. Despite the shift from singer/songwriter pop-inflected songs to a more gruff, alternative vibe both iterations of Everett’s curmudgeon poet laureate remained steadfast. Sad and melancholy but with a whiff of sardonic humor and a love for melody.

Having songs prominently showcased in both movies and Dreamworks animated movies gave EELS cache to continue putting out sardonic, punk-inflected pop rock with a twist of doomed romanticism for good measure. And with Everetts’s 15th album as EELS he gives us a pretty simple, low key and lovely pop record called EELS TIME!.

Everett puts his vocals upfront on this record. The album comes across as Everett’s best attempt at a Sparklehorse album, but as if Mark Linkous was able to get it together through therapy, rehab, and some serious self reflection.

EELS TIME! is 12 songs of keys and guitar-led pop songs. Mark Oliver Everett’s vocals have remained eloquently gruff and scratchy, yet never too much that Everett can’t sound sweet when he wants to. “Time” sounds like it could have been a Nick Drake song, with simple fingerpicked acoustic and quiet vocals. “We Won’t See Her Like Again” has an almost baroque quality to it with a sweetly melancholy melody in the chorus.

Elsewhere “If I’m Gonna Go Anywhere” sounds like primo Beck, crunchy drums and a stoned swagger gets heads bobbing. “And You Run” has EELS sounding very Kinks-y, circa Village Green Preservation Society. “Song For You Know Who” is simple and sweet with a touch of quiet reflection. “I Can’t Believe It’s True” is a nice 60s-inspired pop song that sounds like Everett’s A Man Called E days. There’s even a little of Wilco’s Summerteeth thrown in for good measure.

Despite stylistic shifts and overall changes in the world of indie music EELS have remained steadfast and significant thanks to Mark Oliver Everett’s songwriting prowess. He’s also not afraid to be true to himself and his art. EELS TIME! is yet another stellar EELS album that will keep listeners engaged in the odd, bizarre, and endearing world of EELS.