Eels

Overview

The reclusive E is sneaking back to our shores, bringing with him a new album and a new style. Since first appearing in the mid-'90s, his band, Eels, have swung from grunge to hip hop, folk to electronic under the more constant guise of low-fi indie. It feels somehow dirty just to label them, even with such a long list of genres, as no style can do justice to their eclectic sound. One can never be sure of what to expect at an Eels gig; in fact, I can't even be sure E will be there after recently being  questioned by police under suspicion of terrorism. However, this is more a testament to E's unruly facial hair than anything else, and I hear he's been released on good behaviour.

The new album, End Times, is a bit more autobiographical, perhaps as a result of E's recent introspective journey into the realm of novel-writing, and fans shouldn't miss the chance to get a bit closer to the elusive music man getting back to basics with an album that returns to old-fashioned rock 'n' roll.