Eels

Souljacker

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Editor's Review:

The Eels have the ability to make hillbilly beards and ski caps the dress code for college age slackers across the globe…they could even bring back wallet chains if they so desired. You may remember a song called 'Novocain for the Soul,' which garnered unprecedented radio play back in late '96. You may have thought it was the new Beck single. It was, however, an introduction into the universal brilliance of The Eels' felicitous sound. Mark Oliver Everett (otherwise known as 'E'), The Eels' lead singer / songwriter / instrumentalist would be sung as one of our time's true geniuses...if Beck hadn't gotten there first. Sharing distinctly similar voices and outlook on music's self-imposed boundaries, they both fought convention while bringing American folk music into a new light, still wearing vintage clothes. But as Beck delineated into revamping soul music, The Eels continued on their blurry, ethereal path. Absorbing everything from deep urban soul and hip hop to country-fried folk-blues, The Eels throw uniformity into outer space with Souljacker and revel in their innocent genre-bending musical escapade. It's hard to focus when confronted with an album so diverse and substantial, but "Fresh Feeling" stands out as the most instantly phenomenal. E's smoky vocals conjure hopeful images of rekindling love through languid melodic passages and folk-simplistic lyrics while punchy funk bass and layered old-school hip hop beats provide the perfect amount of stank. Top this off with a string orchestra's bad ass neoclassical hook and its hard to keep the tears from welling in the eyes…Trust us, you'll like this one.
- Maurice S. Teilmann

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