Eels Album: “Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire”

Eels is a great band, and it has been since before it even WAS a band (I'm referring, of course, to E's two solo albums before forming the group). E has always balanced his edgy side with a gentler, softer aspect, composing songs like small trinkets or snapshots. My favorites are "Electro-Shock Blues," a masterpiece of mourning, and "Souljacker," in which E indulged his more grotesque inclinations. Hombre Lobo merges the best of both worlds.

One of the great things about Eels is that even when rocking out with heavily distorted guitars, as in "Lilac Breeze," they never lose their sense of melody. There's a real love of songcraft here, not to mention a mastery of the recording studio. Studio trickery never overwhelms the songs - and the songs are never lacking for the right accompaniment (notice the explosive chorus of "Tremendous Dynamite.")

It's too soon to tell (and doesn't really matter) how this will rank amongst Eels's other cds, but one thing's for sure: this is the perfect Eels album for 2009, and a great addition to an already stunning catalog.

E, or Mark Oliver Everett for those unfamiliar with the band, has delivered yet another fine album that manages to set itself apart from his already vast body of work. I'd go as far to say that, if you've never heard the EELS before, you should start with Hombre Lobo, as it is definitely the most accessible of E's work (Shootenanny gets a nod here in this regard as well). This is more or less E's first 'concept album' (although Electro-Shock blues comes close), which definitely contributes to the accessibility of it, as thoe familiar with E know that he can churn out some pretty weird stuff. Plus, after the release of 'Blinking Lights and Other Revelations,' an epic 2-disc set representing the culmination of almost 7 years work, I'd say a shorter, more focused album was the right call to make, wouldn't you?

Hombre Lobo is everything you'd want from an EELS album. That Look You Give That Guy, carried by E's impeccable delivery, has instantly become one of E's most memorable tunes (a true feat). Beginner's Luck is a great, catchy rocker. My Timing Is Off is a classic EELS groove, and Fresh Blood, with its menacing groove and lyrics accurately capturing the mood of a despeate man on the prowl, will immediately grab your attention and stay in your head for a long time. You will not be disappointed by Hombre Lobo. Any EELS fan will love it, and it's also a great starting point for beginners.

It's hard to top the masterpiece that is "Blinking Lights" yet I'm pretty sure every Eels fan out there was expecting E to do just that. This is where some disappointment for Hombre Lobo comes from.

On first listen I was immediately disappointed...where were the crazy, catchy, awesome songs that accompany every Eels album? Not that the songs were bad, mind you, but I didn't think they were any where near the same level of greatness as his previous material. I put the album away and was in disbelief that E could've made such an ordinary album.

I picked it back up about a week later and couldn't believe how badly I had misjudged this album. This was pretty amazing stuff. It's as different from Blinking Lights as Souljacker is from Shootenanny... and therein lies the rub. I was judging Lobo based on his previous albums and that wasn't fair to the album itself.

Hombre Lobo is full of great tunes. The first half of the album alternates between loud fuzzy rock songs, reminscent of "Dog Faced Boy", and bittersweet, softer songs not unlike a lot of the material from Blinking Lights. These constantly alternating styles takes you in and out of his wolf persona.

My favorite song on this album, easily, is Beginner's Luck. A relatively short song with a killer scream-sing chorus line.

I really love this album and if at first you don't like it, try listening to it without thinking about his other albums.

Key Track: Beginner's Luck

I'm not a stranger to the Eels. They come up frequently on my Pandora, and I've downloaded a few tracks in the past. I'm aware of E, and his whole spiel. He's a very entertaining musician who isn't afraid to get really raw. E goes beyond raw in this album, which features his lupine alter ego. Easily the best tracks on this are the faster and more up-tempo ones, such as "Fresh Blood" (probably the stand-out track on the album). This album sometimes comes down to the crunch of blues-rock in certain spots, although it never seems derivative. All in all a great album to own, and I highly recommend it.

If you're a fan of E then you'll enjoy this album. Definitly not his best as far as radio songs, though.