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Album Details

• Artist: Eels
• Album: Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
• Label: Vagrant
• Year of Release: 2005
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2005-07-22

I've said it before and I'll say it again, why aren't the Eels much bigger than they are? Dreamworks gave them more than a fare shot and they had the pleasure of being included in more that a few movie soundtracks. What is it about The Eels that people don't get? Is it the ongoing depression of leadman E? Eels have quite a big catalogue so some may be slightly intimidated with 6 albums to choose from but the reality is that none of them are awful. E has proven himself as a very consistent songwriter over the year and with the release of Blinking Lights and Other Revelations we are presented with a whopping 33 songs. It's a bit of a change from the previous album (and my favorite) Shootenany, in that it dives right back into the personal life of Mark Oliver Everett, comparable to that of Electro-Shock Blues. The thing that holds this 90 minute opus together is the heartfelt honesty you hear in E's lovely but aching voice. It's hard because a lot of the tempo and feel on Blinking Lights is very similar but I never felt bored throughout the entire album. Some tracks like the lively "Going Fetal" or "Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)" bring relief at times when you feel that you can't handle one more track of depression. He also experiments a little with roots again on tracks such as "Railroad Man", a great storytelling song. I'm reminded a lot of Beck in his Sea Change days. I think Mark and the rest of the Eels should be proud. Some may say that they should have been more selective in choosing the tracklisting and cutting it down to a single disc but I disagree. Although Blinking Lights is a long listen, it is very cohesive and a pleasant ride.

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