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With a career-defining double album (2005’s Blinking Lights and Other Revelations), a fascinating documentary (Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives) and a critically acclaimed autobiography (last year’s Things the Grandchildren Should Know) behind him, the age of Mark ‘E’ Everett’s tragic family history being central to his work came to a natural close.
Billed as “12 Songs of Desire”, Hombre Lobo ('werewolf' in Spanish) marks out a move from specific to more general themes, resurrecting as narrator the character of the Dog Faced Boy from 2001’s Souljacker. Whilst often playing the loser (highlight ‘That Look You Give That Guy’ is a perfect example), E finds plenty of room for the feel-good rock of ‘Beginner’s Luck’ too.
If you’re familiar with Eels’ back catalogue, most of the songs will sound instantly familiar. Dividing roughly into those songs that rock and those that don’t rock (but are pretty great in other ways), the variety on show includes the Prince-esque ‘Lilac Breeze’, gritty first single ‘Fresh Blood’ and the mellower ‘My Timing is Off’. Whatever his chosen style and theme, E sings with wit and honesty about those universal emotions common to us all. In an often superficial world, Hombre Lobo is a great comfort.
Eels: official website | MySpace | on Spotify
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