The obvious: Eels frontman E is a phenomenal songwriter. I
certainly can’t think of anyone else who crafts such
beautiful, fragile songs out of such a unique take on the
world, nor who performs such songs with as enjoyable and touching
a personality. While I’ve only been given a six-song
sampler here, which isn’t really enough to get to grips
with the album as a whole (the real thing will contain 33
tracks), I can say that Blinking Lights and other Revelations
contains at least two Eels gems, and will be a shot in the
arm for anyone feeling jaded or sad.
‘Marie
Floating Over the Backyard’, ‘Old Shit/New Shit’
and ‘Railroad Man’ are all pretty little ditties
which get away with being so apparently slight by the weight
of feeling you can sense boiling under the surface. You’re
sitting there listening, and then E turns on the switch
and it drops on you in one go with one little phrase or
one little expertly placed melody. And for some reason it
makes you feel better.
Goodness
knows how E manages to create such simple, life-affirming
music out of such dark topics as death, suicide, loss, mental
illness (his cousin apparently being on the plane that crashed
into the Pentagon in 2001) and love. But he does, and long
may he continue to do so.
