 E I was really smitten with the song "Nowheresville" the first time I heard it, on a road-trip mix tape made for me by a close friend. That same tape, if I correctly recall, also contained "Two Princes" by the Spin Doctors, months before it finally broke as a single. "NOW who's laughing?," I say to myself, not fully realizing that in the grand scheme of things, the joke is always on ME. I still really like "Nowheresville" … perfect for those moments of uncalled-for self-pity ("Stuck in mud/spinning my wheels"). It's a great pop cut, with it's glockenspiel and french horn, both of which immediately lure me in if used in a pop song. I used to be a bit jaded by the rest of this album … there's too much preciousness to E's lyrics, for sure. But upon relistening to the album, I'm really enjoying it. E does have a great vocal timbre, a cross between Roger Waters and Paddy McAloon, and the instrumentation has a mix of analog and digital keyboards (especially plenty of tinkling Rhodes electric piano) as well as sampled guitar, all coming across as strangely refreshing. Opening track "Hello Cruel World," another high watermark, stands tall with a great bass riff, finger pops, and tympani, though I can't decide if I like the line "Monkeys dancing in a cage". My uncertainty hardly prevents me from singing along at strained volumes, of course. The rest of A Man Called (E) continues along the same path of pop goodness, though the continual reappearance of the "I'm a misfit" theme is aimed at more of the "gifted class" 14-year-old in me. I don't know why alter-popsters like E, Ben Folds, and Barenaked Ladies keep treading this tired terrain. Self-esteem, gentlemen! You're out of high school, already … go to the gym, bulk up on creatine, listen to some Danzig … something! E's songs are hit and miss a lot of the time, suffering from the classic "one singer/songwriter" syndrome, but when he hits, it can be blissful. Perhaps the best approach would be to scour his solo albums and the Eels discography to make one solid compilation ("Shine it All On," "The Only Thing I Cared About," "Novocaine For the Soul," yeah!). Don't blame me for ruining the music industry … you can send E a check for $5 to cover any possible lost revenue.
Review by The Goodbye Guy |