Electro-Shock Blues

by

Eels

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Everyone who knows the Eels knows their frontman/leader/ect doesn't flinch from writing songs about the darker things in life. Even so this is probably the bands darkest album too date. Starting with a song about his sisters suicide and then a song about her funeral its hard to imagine a bleaker start to an album, especially when its backed by the Eels twisted alt pop. Its pretty accurate to describe 'Electro-Shock Blues' as being a concept album, all about death, depression and even the light at the end of the tunnel. In the hands of another band like Marylin Manson or Pink Floyd this might by an unbearably selfrighteous, indulgent and wallowing experience, but E has just enough off kilter humor and quirkiness to pull it off without every giving unto those tendencies. Who else could write a song about watching your world crumble around you and going insane and include line like "voices tell me I am the sh*t" as E does on 'My Descent Into Madness'.

Probably the least 'rock' of the Eels albums, 'Electro-Shock Blues' is all twisted jazz, occasional drum loops, distorted violins, and breathy vocals. Like most Eels albums its got weird nursery rhyme quality, but this time its darker and more nightmarish. Theres only one real break for a pop song in 'Last Stop: This Town' which lightens up the gloomy mood and direction the album is taking up to this point. From their it quitely builds until finally there is relief at the end with 'PS You Rock My World', which its lucky because the confessions of E are so depressing that by the end your in desperate need of relief. Its not an easy album to listen to, and take really appreciate it it needs to be listened too in full, but as E will tell you the good things in life never come easy.

The second Eels album was written during mainman E's family crisis. The lyrics are dark and depressing, but the music lets hope shine through a little bit at a time, especially the first half of the album on songs like "3 Speed" "Cancer for the Cure" "My Descent into Madness" and "Electro-shock blues." However, while the music is pretty good, it is, to my ears, a mix of styles and instruments that are just thrown together in a grab bag and then pulled out all jumbled up. Also the music threatens to explode into a full on pop chorus jam, but never does. The Eels seem averse to letting the noise out, which I would personally like to see them do. However, E is a fine lyricist and songwriter and this album shows promise for the ones to come.