Eels "Beautiful Freak" (1996) - got it
If the Eels' sound seems to come somewhat fully formed, perhaps that's
because the band was always more or less centred around
singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett. Prior to forming the Eels with
drummer Butch and bassist Tommy Walter, Everett had honed his skills
across two solo albums under his moniker 'E'.
Lately I've been more focussed on the more recent Eels albums like
"Hombre Lobo" and "Wonderful Glorious" (good) and "End Times" (less
great), so it's been nice revisiting this great album.
On the face of it, it's a kind of downbeat indie pop and rock album, but there's plenty more here. Opening track and single "Novocaine for the soul"
features a sample of Fats Domino, some tinkling piano, strings and
looped beats. Track "Flower" opens with what sounds like a church
choir then drops in some tasteful slide guitar, giving the track a hint
of country.
E and his rotating cast of musicians would go on to plumb emotional
depths, investigate harder rock sounds and string-backed mellowness but
this album is already just bursting with musical information. E lays
out self-analysis, observations of the world around him and his offbeat
take on love songs (as on the title track).
