Search - E. :: Broken Toy Shop

Highly underrated early work from E!

Dominic Lafferty | 06/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I see many reviewers talking about how this isn't as good as the Eels works, but I think it's just as good! As much as I like A Man Called E, I'd say that this is far better, much more internal and more rockin'. E has been a consistently remarkable artist for many years now and this overlooked gem is not one to pass up, with original, distinctive music and heartfelt lyrics that you can't get anywhere else."

A superb second LP from Rundgren-esque singer/songwriter

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 03/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mystery artist E's second full-length CD slipped out without much fanfare. His later releases with the Eels attracted some Modern Rock radio attention, but this one just fell through the cracks.Which is a shame, because it picks up nicely where his debut ("A Man Called (E)") left off. Very smooth pop music with a great producer's touch. Production is co-handled by E and Michael Koppleman this time. Last LP's producer, Parthenon Huxley, can still be found on most of the tracks. E himself is about 2/3 of a one-man band, filling out each track with a bass player or drummer. The nice thing, though, is that it doesn't sound like a one-man band, it sounds like a band.I tend to think of Todd Rundgren when I listen to E's discs. Not so much because I think they sound like Rundgren's, but because there is a similar sense of sophistication to the arrangements and playing. E manages to infuse a lot of his songs with a sense of meloncholy that is rare in pop music.Another solid outing."