Eels, Daisies of the Galaxy (Dreamworks) 10-
The Eels frontman/pop genius' (who answers to merely the vowel 'E') third offering is much more upbeat than 1998's Electro-Shock Blues. Then again, Nick Cave's Murder Ballads was more life-affirming than that album, which deals with E's sister's suicide and his mother's terminal illness in painful detail. E is not necessarily viewing life entirely through rose-coloured glasses. "It's A Motherfucker" is a meditation on loss. Whether it's merely the end of a relationship, or the end of a life, it is less dramatic than the harrowing accounts on the previous album, which was recorded at the same time, with Grant Lee Phillips and Peter Buck helping out on piano, guitar and bass. The final hidden track is "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues," an insanely bouncy ditty in an over-the-top "Brown Eyed Girl"/"Hang On Sloopy" kind of way that he can't be serious when he sings "Goddam right, it's a beautiful day." Or is he? Much like Beck, E is just as comfortable sitting back and relaxing with an acoustic guitar as he is creating fussy, arty pop masterpieces with inventive arrangements and effects. Like Mutations, Daisies Of The Galaxy is a deceptively simple sounding acoustic folk-pop album that upon closer examination reveals some complex, orchestrated surprises. Everyone knows that death and misery sells. It is a testament to E's talent, discipline and integrity that he skips the tantalizing melodrama for less attention-grabbing ruminations on life and beauty. It is also refreshing that he doesn't suffer from the narcissistic asshole syndrome of many rock stars. The songs are full of small details rather than grandiose statements, with a dry wit ("Tiger In My Tank": "I bought some rock star ashes/From the back of Rolling Stone/I guess he wouldn't mind it/They couldn't sell his soul") and self-deprecating humor ("Grace Kelly Blues"). This is the Eels' best work, a perfectly sweet pop album just in time for Spring. Meet Mr. E, your new favorite songwriter.
