Eels—The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett

Review by Luis A. Apolaya

It seems to happen to all artists: when the euphoria of youth dies down, their new records start sounding softer and more introspective. The tongue-in-cheek and moody qualities of Eels’ previous material is not as apparent here, and instead you have lead singer E reflecting on his life amid soft, unassuming, and pretty good melodies. Recommended: 2, 3, 4, 5. RIYL Rod Stewart, Leonard Cohen, Bob Seeger’s and Randy Newman’s ballads. FCC warning on track 7.

1. (1:42) Instrumental, very pretty melody with horns and flute and piano, music you play before going to sleep.
**2. (3:16) Mid-tempo, folky acoustic guitar throughout, raspy Bob Seeger voice, very soothing.
**3. (3:30) Slow track about despair, melancholy electric piano, cello and other strings come in because it just needs to get sadder than it already is, soft percussion in the background.
**4. (3:28) Leonard Cohen, is that you?
*5. (3:37) Mid-tempo, pleasant soft electric guitar, stuff to listen to while contemplating the meaning of life while lying down on green grass during a sunny day.
6. (2:49) Mid-fast, folky feel-good mood.
7. (3:23) FCC warning “motherfucker”, baby xylophone tune and strings.
8. (2:54) Just a man and his soft electric guitar singing about a girl.
9. (2:36) Sad piano with sad vocals singing sad memories about sad could-have-beens.
10. (2:29) Echo-laden vocals, depressing winds section.
*11. (2:39) More baby xylophone, more strings, more introspection.
*12. (4:57) More of an Eels alt rock feel than the rest of the album, talks about the errors of the past but sounds more hopeful.
*13. (3:04) Same melodic theme as the intro, nice closer with a piano-playing Randy Newman feel, possibly most optimistic song in the album.