Eels: Shootnenany!

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * *)

On his past albums Eels main man Mark "E" Everett has pretty much painted himself into a genre-of-one: Literate American pop of mordant humour and grim irony.

This one carries on in the same offbeat but melodically gifted way. It's maybe not as cohesive as its great predecessor Souljacker of two years ago, but it's a set of songs where the melodies and understated arrangements neatly offset E's bleakly funny lyrics.

Among the most memorable are the bluesy stomp of opener All In A Day's Work, the curiously hopeful pair of Rock Hard Times and Somebody Loves You, and the sweet but exceptionally creepy Restraining Order Blues.

Again, Everett sounds like a man who's suffered for his art, but the resulting songs have still emerged remarkably untortured.


Label: Dreamworks