eMusic Review 0
Cheery but unintelligent albums are a dime a dozen. Second-generation grunge made angry dumb discs common. But the rarest of all are thoughtful records that are also optimistic — particularly from a guy whose name is synonymous with clouds and depression. The third Eels album in 15 months concludes leader Mark Oliver Everett's semi-autobiographical trilogy on a hard-won but happy note, one that's sustained over its 14 tracks. Distinctly more polished than its immediate predecessors, Tomorrow Morning maintains Eels' high melodic standards while thwarting lyrical expectations: Where melancholy once reigned, there's now contentment and even some joy.
Instead of merely singing to his winged friends as he did on Daisies of the Galaxy's misanthropic standout "I Like Birds," Everett declares that he's become one — a hummingbird, no less. He also — finally — releases a verging-on-dance song under his own name: "This Is Where It Gets Good" sounds like an outtake from I Am the Messiah, the MC Honky album Everett swears he didn't make — drum-machine rhythms, a stalking bassline, and incongruous orchestral samples that add up to something more reminiscent of ominous spy movie soundtracks than giddy club pop. But it is kinda sexy, which is… read more »
