Search - Eels :: Electro-Shock Blues

Shocking Blues

Sacco | here there and everywhere | 09/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Everyone who knows the Eels knows their frontman/leader/ect doesn't flinch from writing songs about the darker things in life. Even so this is probably the bands darkest album too date. Starting with a song about his sisters suicide and then a song about her funeral its hard to imagine a bleaker start to an album, especially when its backed by the Eels twisted alt pop. Its pretty accurate to describe 'Electro-Shock Blues' as being a concept album, all about death, depression and even the light at the end of the tunnel. In the hands of another band like Marylin Manson or Pink Floyd this might by an unbearably selfrighteous, indulgent and wallowing experience, but E has just enough off kilter humor and quirkiness to pull it off without every giving unto those tendencies. Who else could write a song about watching your world crumble around you and going insane and include line like "voices tell me I am the sh*t" as E does on 'My Descent Into Madness'.



Probably the least 'rock' of the Eels albums, 'Electro-Shock Blues' is all twisted jazz, occasional drum loops, distorted violins, and breathy vocals. Like most Eels albums its got weird nursery rhyme quality, but this time its darker and more nightmarish. Theres only one real break for a pop song in 'Last Stop: This Town' which lightens up the gloomy mood and direction the album is taking up to this point. From their it quitely builds until finally there is relief at the end with 'PS You Rock My World', which its lucky because the confessions of E are so depressing that by the end your in desperate need of relief. Its not an easy album to listen to, and take really appreciate it it needs to be listened too in full, but as E will tell you the good things in life never come easy."

The eels have me Climbing to the Moon

gapskank76 | 02/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the 3rd or 4th time I have reviewed this record, and I will persist until one of my reviews gets posted. I will persist because this album is worth raving about. the eels have been compared to Soul Coughing and even Cake. I have a hard time seeing the similarities. The eels have a fresh, original sound. (Yes I said original). Sure, lead singer and songwriter E has his influences, but he brings something all his own to these songs. He has an intruiging voice, and a knack for writing a pop song that doesnt neccessarily fall on the ears as such... It took me a couple of listens to really dig my teeth into ElectorShock Blues, but It quickly became one of my favorite albums. Some might say that the lyrics are melodramatic. They might be, but this is a concept album about sickness and suffering (if you dont know, you should read up on what was going on with E before this came out). E captures the feeling of being powerless and alone perfectly. Check it out, give it a careful listen or two. You wont be sorry."

Greatest Album Ever?

Chris C | USA | 08/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I gotta start off by saying that I'm no music critic. In fact, most of the reviews that I've posted have gotten an overwhelming amount of "no, this review was NOT helpful"'s. But this is something I have to do. I HAVE to keep on getting people to buy this gorgeous album and rate it so that the average user rating is 5 stars. Get it? Buy this album, and rate it 5 stars because this is perhaps my favorite cd of all time.It wasnt until last summer that I started to listen to the eels religiously, and this is the album that started my rampage. It's gorgeous from beginning to end (even baby genius, probably the most hated track on the cd). Mark Oliver Everett (or E), vocals for Eels, wrote this album about death, or death around him, and how he dealt with it. When he was 18 (or 19) he saw his father have a heart attack and die. I believe that year his sister also tried to kill herself. She succeeded years later during the Eels tour in europe. E's mother was also diagnosed with cancer and he was soon to become the last remaining member of his family. I love this cd, not only because of the beautiful lyrics, but because if flows so perfectly together, from the haunting first tracks to the powerful accoustic numbers near the end. And its also really cool to see the change, musically, that the eels went through with each of their albums. Truly Beautiful."