eels

shootenany!

‘E, E, E. What’s going on, buddy?

You make a good point when you sing, “Good things don’t ever last… That time is good and gone.”

Oh the bittersweet irony of that statement. The record has become its own self-fulfilling prophecy.

Minus the drum machine, the poorly titled “Shootenany!” is textbook blues. The problem is that it’s missing a soul. Where’s the love? Where’s the emotion? They’re “good and gone.”

OK, although this record is rife with disappointment, that is not a completely fair criticism. Eels frontman Mark Oliver “E” Everett reprieves himself with three of the album’s tracks: “Love of the Loveless,” “Dirty Girl,” and “Rock Hard Times.”

E may chant lines such as “I am the man” on “Love of the Loveless,” but at least he strikes sincerity and that’s what counts. As a matter of fact, this song is the closest E comes on this record to reaching the same instant gratification of his initial critical success, “Novocain for the Soul.”

On many records, it is easy to distinguish the artists who have a burning need to make music and the bands that enter the studio merely to fulfill the stipulations of a contract. If those two items were put on a linear scale, “Shootenany!” would rank pretty far to the right, closer to the latter of the two options. It gets point for merit and technical skill but there are no existent metaphysical or ethereal levels.

“Shootenany!” is a scale model of Beck’s bluesier works. E’s raspy and partially apathetic vocals hit right in the Beck range. The gritty guitars and harmonica solos are right on target too. What separates Beck from the Eels, though, is his remarkable ability to breathe life into every work that he creates.

The Eels’ guitar parts often nod to a Muddy Waters influence. But, alas, Water has that same gift that Beck has but the Eels missed out on.

There’s a windup, E steps in for the punch, misses, and falls flat on his face.

While there are a few upbeat tracks, most of “Shootenany!” is packed with soul-purging, wrist-slitting, self-loathing pity. Do not listen to this album on a bad day. However, if you are looking for a sleeping aid, this may be the perfect natural remedy.

One more thing – exclamation points should be reserved for fourteen-year-olds’ love letters and cheesy greeting cards.