Reviews (page 7 of 9)
Another album which I have been aware of for ages (that striking cover!), recognised the hits, but never felt compelled to seek out an listen to. It is of its time and a with a creepy feel in places. But also some good parts.
The highs were high the lows were low even in the same song sometimes. I enjoyed it cuz I’m white.
While there were aspects of the music I found quite pleasant for background listening, this is definitely not an album I can get excited about in any kind of way. No idea why it may have been included.
I liked this more than I thought I would. Solid indie rock. Definitely inspired by some early Radiohead and Beck stuff. That album cover is terrible tho and almost turned me off this album completely lmao.
Enjoyed about half of it. Which is all you can really ask for out of an album. Certainly has 90’s written all over it.
Possibly the worst 30 seconds of an album I’ve ever heard. Once the guitar kicks in, we get an OK album. A great first song, minus the start, got me excited, but after that, I found there were more flat tracks than good ones.
I was not a fan of all of the songs on this record. Many of the songs are cut from the cloth of great 90s alternative and I enjoyed it for that. Lots of dynamic and neat multi instrumental parts. I was not into this on initial listen but it has benefited from the virtue of being a Friday album. I like Rags to Rags the best on this album I think. Reminds me of Beck or even Ben Folds Five at times with the piano parts.
I've listened to this many times since it was album of the day. Good background music, nothing special in my mind. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would though. Had heard a couple of the songs before, always fun to connect that music to the artist.
Was a fan of this, only listened to about 1/3 of the album, will listen fully in future
It was alright but I doubt I'd add it to any playlist.
3.5 stars
3.5/5. Horrible cover art but has a song from Shrek.
Eels are an odd band to me in that they've always been adjacent to my musical taste but, apart from a couple of singles, never really made it into my general rotation. I guess the mid nineties were a time when we I was spoilt for choice and also had more time and inclination to listen to more music. So I'd never listened to the whole album before and it isn't quite what I was expecting. It's more traditional guitar-based than I anticipated. There's obvious parallels with Radiohead, or maybe Grandaddy, here. Actually some of the less experimental stuff is what I liked most. It tails off a little towards the end. Scorewise I might have put a 3.5 if it existed. I enjoyed listening to it once enough to be a 4 but it has the occasionally cringey lyrics and replay value of a 3.
I love the mood and vibe that this album gives off, the writing is great, I'll definitely listen to it more and check out Eels' other records Favorite tracks: -Susan's House -My Beloved Monster -Mental -Spunky -Manchild
Eels are an important cornerstone of 90s weirdo rock. It doesn't always hit, but it's creative and interesting
🙈
I feel like I have heard these songs before. Songs like "Novocaine for the Soul" and "My Beloved Monster" sound so familiar yet I really can't place where I've heard them. In any case, I thought this was a perfect example of what a 3/5 album is in my ears. While the album was full of songs that were easy to listen to and enjoy, I didn't really connect with any of them on an emotional level. I enjoyed E's Rod Stewart-esque raspiness backed up by some trip-hop esque drumming and indie rock subtle fuzz. Very '90s. I really enjoyed the experimentation on the album (the chaos at the end of "Mental" for instance). There are heartfelt performances on here ("Manchild") that make me feel like there should be something more here but for some reason I kind of just feel like this is Wheatus's cool older brother.
This was surprisingly eclectic, despite the album cover reminding me of the Little Sisters from Bioshock.
Shrek did this album and Eels a LOT of favours. Overall I enjoyed the album but there are, without a doubt, some weak link songs.
3* only gets an extra star for the Shrek song
It was pretty good. There was nothing inspiring about it but I enjoyed it. My beloved monster is a fantastic song though. 7/10
Mid 90's alt rock that was beautifully twisted. Enjoyed! 3/5
I think it was ok
Nice enough album.
Some great tunes. Brought back a lot of memories
This screams later 90's radio 2 to me. It's not a bad album overall but also seems to think it is deeper than it is. First 2 songs good radio tunes.
solid 90s alt rock album, novacaine still slaps
Ild
Ehh pretty generic and nothing really excited me. Bland.
Kinda cool. I like some of the weirdness of it. Kind of beck-ish. The monster song was in Shrek. I like the weird solo in that song
I liked this more than i thought I was going to. I liked Spunky the best. I'm not sure why this is on the list but I feel that way about a lot of the albums.
Omg that one song from shrek
Didn't feel particularly personally captivated. Cool textures in the tracks, but unclear if it resonated enough for me to revisit.
Someone else said it best: this is quintessential background music. Truly solid as a rock. Not a bad song on it. Nothing to skip. But, outside of maybe "Susan's House," these aren't tracks that are going to make me stop and listen intently.
Very 1990s in style.
An overall enjoyable mix of rock & sampling. Noticed a couple common samples with hip hop songs, notably Atmosphere - Yesterday piano on Susan's House.
A long time ago I randomly bumped into an Eels song while listening playlists, I liked it, saved it and never really dug into the albums. Until now, and it's actually a pretty nice album! I dig the guitar and overall vibe of the songs, and the band is pretty solid. But I just can't seem to get into the vocals, which is a shame because the songs on itself are quite nice! The outro to Mental is amazing though! Favorite lyrics: - How do you stand when you've been crushed? - And I'll be here to see that you don't fade away. - One day the world will be ready for you. And wonder how they didn't see. Key tracks: Novocaine For The Soul, Susan's House, Beautiful Freak, My Beloved Monster, Your Lucky Day In Hell 7 out of 10
Very 90s. Too many downtempo songs. One standout here, "Susan's House."
Another bizarre choice - why this album over the far superior Electro-Shock Blues? It's not bad, but it's not the one.
Quite good
Mixed reaction here - as ever, vocals get in the way of interesting music. In this case it's not in an aggressive way, but it really gets tiring and quickly. It's more that tired 90s plain-yet-overly-earnest and dry vocal that's at once trying to be sincere but has that wink-wink *i'm just kinda kidding guys remember we're all snarky and don't give a shit* attitude that makes me roll my eyes. I'm Gen-X and it's the worst part of this generation by far - which seems a weird statement commenting on an album :P but it seeps in to so.damn.many of these 90s albums and I hate it. So there's the big negative and it was hard to shake - a lot of this music is interesting, or could have been very interesting with a little more work and emphasis on the music over the vocals; melodic and accessible but not always predictable. It's a good combination and very hard to pull off successfully - e.g. a few times the vocals would obliquely remind me of Ben Folds and his/their album "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner" which is one of my alltime favourites - so what's the difference? Maybe variance - in arrangement, in dynamics, and perhaps mostly in tempo (a lot of these tracks have that mid-tempo 90s slacker vibe which ehhhh). But really it's the singing. Completely overwrought absurd affected take on "Spunky" ok please just stop it. For now it seems like between a low 3 (and probably only that high because of the garbage noise rock i've had this week) or a high 2 - no real chills but enough to listen to that is melodic but...AGAIN...sigh...it's just that it seems over the longhaul (i.e. the album) it gets a little boring and his voice starts grating on me more and more. Different/varied instrumentation - and an emphasis on same - would have helped too. 5/10 3 stars. "Mental" is maybe my fave track
Rags to rags has great soft rock vibes
I appreciate the creative slant of this band, but I found some of this to be tedious, the first couple of songs in particular. Once they get that out of their system, there's some decent songs on here. Fave Songs: My Beloved Monster, Beautiful Freak, Manchild, Spunky, Guest List, Your Lucky Day in Hell
A couple of good songs
Excellent mellow/easy listening indie pop Snapshot of 90s indie pop Even their heavier sounding songs still have a mellow vibe
I liked this album when it first came out, and on re-listen, I can hear that it was a more mainstream album that was leading me towards other, less mainstream low-fi indie rock bands. The instrumentation is cool - very cool at points - but the vocals haven't aged well for me. The vocal style is distinctly whiny. Like Marie Kondo, I thank this album for the ways in which it served me, but it does not have staying power for me. My time would be better spent listening to Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Built to Spill. 3/5
Novocaine For The Soul- 5 Susan's House- 4 Rags To Rags- 6 Beautiful Freak- 4 Not Ready Yet- 8 My Beloved Monster- 6 Flower- 5 Guest List- 7 Mental- 9 Spunky- 6 Your Lucky Day In Hell- 7 Mandchild- 6
Looking at the name of the band and the name of the album I was expecting more shoegaze and admit to sighing audibly when I pushed play. Imagine my surprise at actually recognizing the first song. Good song, not great song, but at least it is legitimately music. Second song, Susan's House, is interesting. OK, eels, you've got my attention. Show me what else you got. Overall I like the album, a nice varied set of songs. Not convinced it should be on this list. Possibly. 3.5
Although I know Novacaine this album passed me by at the time but I like it. Sounds like a lot of other 90s sounds that I like encapsulated into one ball of odd offbeat topics and sounds. Not sure if they are the 'originals' (thinking Beck) though but that doesn't bother me.
Very good album. I enjoyed the music it wasn’t that memorable. I feel there are sounds from this album that influenced some of the music on the radio today. 2022
This takes me back to high school.
Not bad. Spotify kept glitching the first song. Liked.3/4 of the album. Metal was good. Last few so gs dragged on. 3 stars.
They have other songs! Oh no...second track is depressing as fuck... Some nice fuzzy guitar on Not Ready Yet. Still getting the "music to kill yourself by" vibe overall. Some tracks more fun than sad...but overall probably not putting this on again.
Meh, it was fine. I guess 3 stars, it wasn't 2 stars bad I don't think..?
This album dragged a bit but I do love the generic 90s. I almost gave this 4 stars because My Belovef Monster was in Shrek.
Ik heb een voorliefde voor een ander album van Eels, deze was mij net iets wat te vlak.
Het is nooit een band geweest die écht bij mij is geland. Ik hoor zeker dat het goed is, en het verveelt ook zeker niet. Sterker nog, het luistert heel prettig weg. En de scherper rand in de zang is ook heel fijn. Maar toch, toch kom ik niet hoger uit dan 3 sterren. Sorry E.
I’ve heard Novocaine For the Soul many times, and it’s a song I’ve skipped or changed the station on many times too. It’s one of those songs that I don’t hate so sometimes I let it play through or I feel annoyed by it because I don’t particularly like it. The rest of the album felt the same. I got through it, it was fine, but it was also just kind of bland. Basic 90s stuff.
Ik vind het wel leuke muziek. Beetje relaxt, wat filmische geluiden, en dan een melodieus popliedje. ***
Gostei não
Helt ok. Tänker på Johannes från när vi var små ☺️❤️
Really just okay. Likable enough with a few winning moments ("Spunky" would be one's personal faves and "Novocaine" and "Lucky Day" are also solid, if not compelling) and made with an artisinal touch, but also vaguely gimmicky in feel and modest, low-energy to a fault, even by the ironic (and iron-deficient) standards of the mid-'90s. Lyrically, it's okay – "life is hard/and so am I" is meant to be what – edgy? funny? It's not credible either way. Yes, the line would've got a chuckle on "Jackass," but the delivery would have had to have been more raucous or agressive (like a "your Momma" joke). Hard to credit it as anything like profound or even remotely distinguished. The vocals are either talked or half-mumbled, and the voice sounds cough syrupy. The whole effort is neutral – and one's emotional reaction is commensurate – and thus the record never achieves exit velocity or liftoff. And what genres, exactly, does it span? It's unfathomable that Yo La Tengo is overlooked for an act as bland and feckless as this. Comparisons to Brian Wilson and the Beatles are laughable.
It is fairly good; better than I anticipated. But, still fairly vanilla.
Quite interesting rock. Wouldn’t switch off if it came on the radio, but not going to go headlong looking out for the music.
Some interesting tracks, but didn't catch my ear enough that I'll be seeking out the remainder of their discography. 3/5
Weird that this is on the 1001 Albums list. I've heard "Novocaine for the Soul" and don't mind this album but I didn't think the Eels were that popular or influential.
The start of indie being cool.
Enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away. Lyrics a little cringe sometimes.
Weird, sometimes fun album whose standout song was featured in the first Shrek movie.
There are a few tracks by Eels that I like, but overall this album is a bit too postgrunge pop for my tastes. Lots of the lyrical direction is slightly cringey cliche that is surface level of "world is bad" and it's almost like baby's first existential crisis.
Hmm, tough one. In general, I like the band's sound; I feel they've successfully tapped into a method of creating mood through repeated and engaging sound clips, whether riffs, spoken passages, or both. That said, it doesn't always land for me, resulting in a collection of everything from not great to great.
Kind of one hit for me, but I can dig their style.
I like Eels. 3 To 4 3.5 And I don't believe there's anyone in the world who likes that albumcover.
Bit depressing but not a good album
One of the most solid 3s up to now. It's actually a very good album and I like the sound of it. It's just a little forgettable. First Listen?: Y Fav. Track(s): Novocaine For The Soul, Susan's House Rating: 3/5
Notes - Sample heavy indie rock - You may know eels for their song on the Shrek soundtrack - Very blunt lyrics and smoky raspy vocal delivery - Lots of lyrical content about life in America in the 90s - Some Elliott smith-y, sparklehorse vibes at times - fav - spunky - i like the stripped back style and string parts least fav - my beloved monster - i really like the sound of this song but the lyrics and melody are just a bit too predictable 3/5
not too bad. Mellow 90's vibe.
the hideous album cover gave me low expectations, but this was pretty enjoyable. Plus, there's a shrek song.
I loved Electro-Shock Blues - that one has some all time great songs on it for me. This one feels like that one's little brother. 'Novocaine for the Soul' was a song title that fit in well the year it came out - a little over-dramatic, a little too on-the-nose? But I still like the general sound of all of this, even if 'Novocaine' is the only song that stands out for me.
Feels like the zanier end of power pop crossed with the tamer edge of alt rock - Jellyfish meets Bush, perhaps? It's quirky in its own way, idiosyncratic for sure, but a little studied. Perfectly listenable, no more, no less.
Solid 90s alt-ish rock
I like Susan's House and there's a few interesting tracks.
I remember this album cover vividly... and yet, only one track really landed for me at the time. Novocaine for the Soul which had a lot of airplay to drive it into my brain, I quite liked Your Lucky Day In Hell and My Beloved Monster this time around though. Overall at least a three for me.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Rags to tags, Your lucky day in hell
Super 90’s
10/03/2022 Retrospective listen. This was better than I thought it was going to be, but still gave me this weird dark feeling regardless. I put off listening to this album bc of the cursed ass album art, but I'm glad I've heard it now. For some reason, I couldn't help but think of Owl City while listening to some of these songs. The musicianship is good, sometimes the vocals were grating though. Giving this album a few points for having a Shrek song in it. I guess the creative team for that movie were big Eels fans bc I Need Some Sleep came out in Shrek 2.
Cool sound
A pop grunge pop indie album that has last the test of time.
Prima wel leuke muziek
Made me think of Shrek
Fine.
An interesting one. The songs have some really nice ideas and melodies in them. A few duds in the track list as well tho. 6/10
This album is so 1996 it hurts. I'd never listened to it before, but recognised "Novocaine for the Soul" and "Susan's House" when the choruses kicked in because those buggers were *everywhere* for a while. A lot of really cool sounds and production choices. It's just a shame that the Gen-X try-hard misanthropy of Mark Oliver Everett's lyrics gets old very quickly!
Quite interesting.
Pretty good, bit samey though.
A bit of a weird, funky, techy vibe.
This one is pretty good. I think starting off with novocaine for the soul is nice. Sets up what the hell I'm gonna listen to cause with this site you never really know what your gonna get. I liked Susan's house but I was so focused on where else I've heard that sample that I don't know how much I paid attention to it. And oooo baby when beautiful monster came on I was screaming "SHREKKKKK SHREKKKK" over and over again. Guest list may be my favorite song on here. Overall a pretty solid album. Saving a few tracks for later listens
Rock lento que intenta parecer trascendental. No me ha gustado mucho.
Title track is a gem
did not like susans house, really like not ready yet mediocre
Voici ce que j'en ai déjà dit: "J'aime vraiment beaucoup Novocaine For The Soul. Pour ce qui est de la voix, elle est bien particulière et j’aime le traitement qui est fait pour lui donner encore plus de textures par moment. Pour l’ensemble, on est dans la vibe Beck et Cake avec les influences Hip-hop. J’aime beaucoup cette vibe. On retrouve un peu l’ambiance de cet album sur ce qu’a fait Buck 65 dans son style de Hip-hop."
Beautiful Freak is largely the solo work of musician Mark Oliver Everett. It is his first album using the full band name Eels, in an attempt to get the records in the same general location in the stores as his previous works under the name "E".
Classic 90s sound. I liked it, dint love it.
Manipulate your girlfriend to think you’re the only person in the world that loves her - the album. 5/10
Eels have something distinctive that puts them in another level as their many 90s alt indie counterparts. This album isn't all memorable but when they're good they're really good.
Novocaine and Susan’s really did a great job getting my attention with unusual songwriting, structures and production. I like the simplicity that seems to haunt the entire record… Even though it at times also turns out to be its greatest weakness. Especially regarding the lyrics. A solid 3 for having My Beloved Monster appear in Shrek.
Probably not listening to this with others
Not bad, not bad at all. 3.5 stars.
Other than the first track, I'm not all that familiar with The Eels. What can I say, I gave up on 90s music around 1993. I did rather enjoy this though it was mostly relegated to background listening today. I'll definitely give it another shot though down the road.
Not a bad album, 90s melancholy rock, Novacaine for the soul was a small hit.
J'aime vraiment beaucoup Novocaine For The Soul. Pour ce qui est de la voix, elle est bien particulière et j’aime le traitement qui est fait pour lui donner encore plus de textures par moment. Pour l’ensemble, on est dans la vibe Beck et Cake avec les influences Hip-hop. J’aime beaucoup cette vibe. On retrouve un peu l’ambiance de cet album sur ce qu’a fait Buck 65 dans son style de Hip-hop.
i have mixed feelings about this album. i think i liked it! the album had an unusual sound, and the album cover added to that. there was an even, morose feeling throughout. "your lucky day in hell" might be the most stand out song. i thought it was so clever! i do like wit in my songs.
Liker ca hver andre Eelsplate.
Plagsomt album bilde, ok musikk
Some weird stuff here, in an ok exciting way.Elements of grunge, Radiohead and Velvet Underground
Not bad, but not really great either. Favorite songs were Flower and Manchild.
3.5
Let's talk about that album cover. Actually, let's not. A few good songs, but mostly forgettable. "Novacaine for the Soul", "Susan's House" and "Mental" were my favorites. Not a huge fan of the singer's voice - he sings like he's just going through the motions most of the time.
not bad
Kinda cool, not what I expected. Saved one song.
Alternatywne rokowanie jesli kiedykolwiek slyszalem jedne, jest to pierwszy album grupy Eelsowej, chociaz wiki mowi, ze jest to bardziej solowy material pana Mark Oliver Everett, pojawiajacego sie tu pod tajemicznym E, jest on autorem wszystkich trakow, gra na gitarce, klawiszach i byl odpowiedzialny za produkcje i mikserowanie, jak alternatywny rock to dodatkowymi instrumentami bedzie oczywiscie bas i drumy i to by bylo na tyle z zespolu, dodatkowo muzycy sesyjni wnosza dodatkowe klawisze, elektroniczne lub synthowo brzmiace, no i jakies dodatkowe gitarki czy inne tamburyny jak chocby na your lucky day in hell, ktory jak dla mnie prezentuje co najlepiej robi ta banda, czyli buduje sarkastyczne moodowe utwory, ktorych ironie mozna czuc zarowno przez melodie jak i slychac lirycznie, a taka synchronizacja to prawdziwe zaskoczenie, nawet nie sluchac, tylko czuc, ze robione mysla jednego czlowieka, pana E, moze taki akurat mam nastroj, ale trafiaja do mnie takie moodowe uzalania sie nad soba przedstawione w ciekawy sposob, bo tutaj jakies tamburino, tam brzdakanie akustyka czy banjo nadaje unikalnosci temu nagraniu, calosc ma 44 minuty na 12 trakach, wiec dosc standardowo jak na debiutancki material pod szyldem wytworni, poza wspomnianym lucky day in hell dodam jeszcze openingowego novocaine for the soul, ktory jest jednym z najpopularniejszych trakow zespolu, a nie wylacznie tego krazka, ktory jest specyficzny, ale sluchalny, pomimo tego ze pan E brzmi jak wyciety z szablonu brodatego okularowego alternatywnego grajka
Not sure about this one. I find it difficult to describe the way this album keeps changing it’s sound song for song. The variety produces some great songs like ”Not Ready Yet” and ”Mental”. Also not too fond of the vocals on some songs, although they’re better on others. Idk It also feels strangely long for it’s length. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but it’s worth noting
Genre: Alternative Rock 3/5 Now a 3 might look like I didn't enjoy this album all that much, but I did enjoy it! Even more after recognizing one of the songs in the tracklist was in Shrek, and even a bit more so after realizing that they also had a song featured in Shrek 2, which was hilarious as those movies are emblazoned in my memory forever. Leaving that aside for now, Beautiful Freak, the debut album from the Eels, a group built by a singer/songwriter who goes by E, is pretty good all things considered. The first 3 tracks, Novocaine for the Soul (started slow, but grows into a solid jam), Susan's House (one of the best 90s alt rock songs I've heard in a while), and Rags to Rags (another solid pop/alt rock flavored track) do a very good job of making it seem like this album would turn out to be an alt rock masterpiece. After those 3, though, it fell into what ended up being a fairly decent alt rock experience, but nothing too much to write home about. My Beloved Monster, the song used in Shrek, was very funny to hear pop up, but isn't paritcularly enjoyable. All in all, not a bad record. A gem or two short of a 4, and should be entertaining for any average rock fan.
I must confess to be at a bit of a loss about how to review Eels’ 'Beautiful Freak.' I can’t think of two more apt words to describe it, though. It is often beautiful, if framed in melancholy, like a flower garden shrouded in the morning’s mist. In fact, on ‘Flower,’ lead vocalist E images himself as one, but in a hailstorm rather than the gentle dew. Accompanied by the mournful chorus of a ghostly choir, one gets the feeling his self-image has taken a beating by his life’s situations in general, but in particular, by women. ‘I’m never even on your (guest) list,’ he laments on ‘Guest List.’ ‘Rags to Rags’ pronounces his prior rags to riches plan a sour bust. He’s ‘Not Ready Yet’ (by a long shot) to reengage with the outside world. And, hitting rock bottom- literally- ‘no one will know my name until it’s on a stone (‘Your Lucky Day in Hell’).’ He sings all these tales of woe with a beautifully wounded voice that evokes an image of an abused, frightened puppy. The freak component of all this, however, is his unfortunate over identification with all these unrealized desires and dreams which has caused him to feel as if he’s deserving of all this misfortune. Essentially, the entre LP seems to be your invitation to his grand pity party. Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty of mood altering depressants to go around. The tiny band is certainly munching on some meds with rythym section Butch and Tommy Walter, and E himself on guitar and Wurlitzer electric piano, performing sparse arrangements with much restraint. There are little instrumental solos to speak of, with the exclusion of ‘My Beloved Monster,’ which delivered one the oddest sounding little breaks I’ve heard in a while. (I liked it, too, by the way.) ’Mental’ also featured some action towards the end, but I couldn’t figure out if the soloing was avant garde or just a lack of proficiency. Either way, I wished Eels would have stretched their legs a bit more on most of these songs. There’s some untapped potential in there, I reckon. I didn’t not like it. The question is: did I? And E, I’m puzzled by this about-face lyric on the concluding song, ‘Manchild,’ when you suggest to your negligent lover that ‘when you forget I’m here, I’m not. It isn’t really me that you forgot.’ Maybe the pity is finally being escorted out of this party?
Not bad. Is it his best? Cover art: 4/5
Remember the two big hits of this album - never really got into Eels at the time but they were never a band I would turn off if their song came on the radio. Novocaine for the Soul still plays in my head on occasion, although I had forgotten about Susan's House until I listened to this. The album is pretty solid but doesn't feel like anything that would make it on to my regular playlist... don't think it would have at the time it was released either, had I bought it way back then. I definitely appreciate the craftsmanship in the lyrics more now than I would have then... Funny how some things just connect with you and others don't.
3.3 - Unremarkable besides “Novocaine for the Soul.”
Pretty good, some nice sounding songs on this, especially liked Novocaine For The Soul and Susan’s House.
Alright. Nostalgic. Nothing really special.
A quiet-ish listen while working earned them a full-volume listen while on the trainer, but for whatever reason it just didn't land. Feels like a "you had to be there" sort of album. *shrug*
I never owned this one but always wanted it. I realized listening to it that I must have accessed it at some point because every song was familiar. Beautiful production (such clarity) and it’s definitely unique and fresh.
My initial thought about this album is that it is more pop rock than I expected. I of course love the first song, but I find the rest of the album hit and miss. It will be interesting to hear other Eels albums against this one.
One of those things (like more famously, Semi-Charmed Life) where the whole color of the room changes depending whether you're paying attention to the lyrics. I listened once about halfway through before I realized this and decided to try it again once I had time to focus a little more on it. I appreciated it a lot more then, it's deceptively dark. Though I can't imagine when I'd want to return to it. One song is enough, and Novocaine for the Soul plays that role just fine!
Aikas outo levy ja en ole tainnut ikinä ennen kuulla. Alkuun vaikutti ihan lupaavalle, mutta loppua kohden kuivu kasaan. Ei ehkä ihan kolmosen arvoinen mutta menköön.
Fairly mediocre, a lot of the songs sounded the same and were fairly boring/standard for the genre unfortunately.
Not bad at all- wasn't my favorite alt-rock album ever, but was certainly above average. Would probably give 3.5/5 if I could be more specific with my ratings.
This album is a fun throwback to the 90s. The musical part of it is really good and contains a lot of interesting elements for the time in which it was made, especially the samples used on a few tracks. The lyrics are...I think too obvious is the word I'm looking for. There's very little craft to them, and it made the album hard to get into 3/5
Surprised we didn't already know this band. How do you miss a strong alternative group from the 90s completely?
The lyrics can be rather compelling, but I don't find the songwriting all that engaging.
Hirvittävä kansi. Absoluuttisen kauhee. Musa taas seilaa jossain indien, radioheadin ja REM:in maastossa. Ei valittamista. Suht jees. 3/5
Okay - bit dull
I really enjoyed this. Most tracks were a bit different. Not quite a 4 but definitely a high 3*
Good stuff
I feel like I should have heard of Eels before but I can't really recall them. Maybe the name is familair. Kind of nice laid back album though.
It was pretty good, I think I would need to listen to it another time. His voice was raspy and unconfident, but that is kinda his style from what i am getting at from some of his other songs. I liked Novocaine for the Soul, My beloved Monster, and Man Child
This is okay? Has an early Ben Folds vibe. Spunky Is probably my favorite track, but the whole album is at once pleasant and forgettable.
I liked it. Close to 4 stars, maybe 3.75
Enjoyed it throughout! A pleasant listen. The Eels have a very dependable chill vibe.
Good voice. Good songs. 90s.
Taugt nach zweimaligem Hören nicht ganz als Klassiker, Novocaine for the Soul habe ich aber damals schon sehr gemocht.
Bueno, interesante
This one was kind of fun. No recognized songs
מיוחד בטירוף, אהבתי מאוד את הקצב בשירים, נשמע קצת כמו ערבוב של הרבה להקות כמו רד הוט, גורילז, פיקסיז, יש כמה שירים לא ממש מעניינים
Loved Novocaine for the Soul and Susan’s House- the big singles!
2021.12.22
Lyrics were strange. Music was good. I liked it.
3 1/2
Misery loves company and 90's alt-rock. It has a strange feeling of almost childlike nursery music with dark lyrics. Like a creche run by Jimmy Saville. Best Tracks: Novocaine For The Soul; Susan's House; Mental
Solid sounds.
6/10
Uso inteligente de samples e boa e surpreendente sequencia de rock.
Rock lento que intenta parecer trascendental. No me ha gustado mucho.
Quote enjoyable
Cage the elephant/Cake hybrid. Great album.
I thought this album was interesting. Not amazing but worthy of a re-listen at some point 3.5
Starts off strong, but falls off later. Some great hooks and songwriting on the first half of the album though, almost a 4
Very quintessential 90s with some interesting sampling, but not overdone. Reminds me of Beck, if he was a little more focused. The lyrics occasionally paint a great scene. Favorite tracks: "Susan's House", "Mental", "Your Lucky Day In Hell"
Fairly decent. Beck does it better
Enjoyed listening to this. Creates a nice overall sound but without too much stand out tunes. Liked mental best
First listen. I *think* I've heard the band name before, but not familiar with the songs at all. Immediately, loved the sound of the album. Kept listening back-to-back. Loved the sound and feeling of it. Can't wait to listen to it again. This is one of my favorite new first listens. So many great songs. 3/5 (for now)
It was ok
28th September 2021 Listened in the morning before work, chilled one before one of jen's boys came for the evening and Liverpool smashed Porto away again. I like the juxtaposition between the innocent melodies and lyrics and the darker themes. Very autumn 90s.
glimrende rock, lytbart
Indie-pop, melakolsk, melodisk
To be honest I kind of wanted this one to be over pretty quickly. I feel like I've been recommended a bunch of albums from the 90's performed by a bunch of dudes who are decent at writing, but fucking suck at singing. Like, I don't even think this guy would be that bad if he sort of stayed in his lane. But he decides to do some highs that I find feel like nails on a chalkboard. It's also got my beloved monster. Which I first heard in Shrek, so that's kind of fire.
Kinda reminds me of beck.
Creo que está bueno pero
Novocaine For the Soul is a fantastic 90's alt-rock for me, but I wanted to be blown away by the rest of this album and didn't quite get there.
Brilliant opening. Sputters out but some good moments
Feeling pretty tired of this style of depressed, quirky white-boy genius type, which seems heavily over-represented in this list.
Before I sputter out........ Novocaine for the Soul was absolutely everywhere of course, and if you wanted to introduce people to what was going on in the late 90s music scene, then this wouldn't be the worst place to start. Can't sustain the magic of the title track over the duration, but certainly warm & strong nostalgia vibes
This is definitely something I could have gotten into when it was big.
Better than I thought from the name and the album art, but cant tell if this is just a better/more influential album in a genre I cannot appreciate or just a mediocre album.
“Novocaine for the Soul” was always my favorite song by The Flaming Lips until I just learned it was by the Eels. It’s probably my 20th favorite Eels tune. This album is pretty good, but below the quality of other Eels albums (Hombre Lobo and especially Wonderful Glorious). Disturbingly coolish artwork. A solid 3⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enjoyable, but got a bit lost on the way.
Rock indie.
Really enjoyed the instrumentals, and the singer was great vocally. Lyrically it did feel like it tried too hard to be edgy and deep though, but that can be ignored by just not paying attention to the words. Still a shortcoming of the record though.
I went through an Eels phase earlier in my life. I've always liked a handful of songs (Spotify tells me I "liked" 4 before listening to this album). I ultimately decided Eels is watered down Beck, and this album proves that theory. Not like that's a bad thing, I still enjoy Eels and this album. It's just not a desert island album. Definitely belongs on the list. And Novacaine For The Soul is an all-timer.
Spoken section of "Susan's House" reminds me of "Shia LaBeouf". Sounds like 90s alt rock, quite pleasant. "My beloved monster and me" is the hit(ish) that I recognise. Very good closing track, feels exactly like the end of an album.
Good album. Listened a second time.
i like the obvious 90's sound to this album. pretty decent albeit forgettable.
Good 90s rock sound, a bit more sweet and less dirty and grungy sounding.
It was alright. 7.3/10
Völlig unterschätzte Band! Mag den Sound gern
I always liked the song 'beautiful freak' and it's good to get the chance to hear the others. I expected it to be a bit 90's rock/pop and samie but actually I found it quite varied. There was a line about there being truth in lies or something which set me off on a right ponder.
Not Es best, but palatable.
some nice sounds. Muted ELO style at times. soulful and sad
Sounds like an early 90s alt rock album. Wasn't really thrilled or disappointed with this one. Made me wonder about people that say "yeah, eels is the best band, imo"
lol nov 4 the soul
Largely forgettable pop-pish songs but a few good ones (eg. Manchild, Novocaine for the Soul)
Surprisingly accessible and enjoyable. I was impressed - listened three times.
hmm
Eerie and accessibly brooding.
A bit samey throughout
Interesting, nothing crazy for me though. Raspy voice kinda gets old imo
Songs are pleasant enough but it just sort of floats along in the background and never really grabbed my attention. Stoner music.
tooo sloooooow
Cuoricino per My Beloved Monster. Degli Eels però preferisco gli album Electro Shock Blues del 1998 e Blinking Lights and Other Revelations del 2005.
Buenas melodías. Tranquilo de escuchar. Pop relajado. Algo novedoso. Sin sobresaltos
My only hearing of Eels was from a song on the Hole’s soundtrack which, unfortunately, is not on this album. But I’m excited to listen to this since I enjoyed that song a lot. Creepy cover of daddy’s little beautiful freak crawling around on the ground. This feels like classic 90’s alternative in the vein of Sugar Ray and Shawn Mullins which I like. These alternative albums always remind me of hanging out by a pool in the summer or someone skateboarding through their neighborhood. I lied when I spoke earlier, there was a second song I had heard from Eels! My Beloved Monster is also on the Shrek soundtrack so it’s a good day when I can talk about Holes and Shrek in the same post. I hate to constantly bring it up, but this another good album. I say that because I thought this list would be the best albums. I’ve had it on in the background and have enjoyed it thoroughly but this is going in the same bucket as many other albums have so far.
Pretty good, maybe a 3.5
Eels és un grup que cau bé. La biografia del líder, Mark Oliver Everett, llegida fa pocs anys, va afegir valor a un àlbum que en el seu moment vaig comprar, atret pel single "Novocaine for the soul", i que sempre m'ha semblat agradable i inspirat.
Melancholy pop about fun topics such as unrequited love, suicide and mental illness is usually a downer, but Eels does a great job here on their debut album. Their sound becomes more fully formed in their later releases but this is solid effort. You can hear the late 90s lofi influences here ... Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev, Yo La Tengo etc, it was a pretty good time for the indie music scene IMO.
j,ai trouvé cela tres relax j.ai aimé . la pochette est déroutante versus la musique
J'ai bien aimé écouté l'album ce matin avec mon café. Un beau petit album.
Really nice! First one I was totally unfamiliar with. A good representation of 90s alt rock. It requires a few more listens, I think.
I think I enjoyed this album, it was fun and weird - which I liked. I doubt I'll listen again, so I can't go 4 or 5 stars but I was pleased to hear the Shrek song.
Some of these songs were featured in the 2001 hit film Shrek. Some of them were also not.
Not my type thing
Quite liked the grunge sound and some good songs there
wallflowers meet in the middle near everclear? 90s.... ya this is why folks give 90s rock a hard time
Moody but layered
Not my cup of tea, still a great album
Interesting. I'm Surprised to see this band have 13 albums and i never heard of them. The album was relaxing and a few fun rifts. Reminded me of beck
Never heard of Eels but quite enjoyed.
A little bit like Beck with a strong 90s rock sound.
Doido.
First 2 tracks are weird. Some good melodies but seems like they're trying too hard to be strange. Beautiful freak. Not bad song repetitive lyrics. Not ready yet: best song so far. Very 90s. Overall not bad musically has some nice touches. Array of instruments and nice progressions. Lyrics are very pedestrian and predictable? While others seem random to be random. Maybe too weird for me personally. Some instruments seemed out of place. Some recording effects are great would be interested in learning a bit about some of them.
Dated but fine.
Not exactly bad, but aside from a few standout tracks (Laura's house, Lucky day in Hell) it feels rather forgettable.
a chill listen
Surprisingly decent alt rock but missing one or two hit songs to be awarded 4 stars
Kul, inte lyssnat på eels sen i gymnasiet. Inte riktigt lika bra som jag minns det kanske.
Nothing special
Some cool stuff, not exactly my genre though
Pretty good, sounded a bit Charlie Kelly -ish in places. Enjoyed but wouldn't rush back
Pretty diverse album and there’s some classic 90s riffs in there.
Knowing nothing about Eels, this sounded similar to a lot of things I do like, but do it better. Lyrics were sometimes laughably trying to be sad and haunting
2 out of 5. The sad guy indie rock doesn't do it for me.
Wasn't a fan of this 30 years ago and nothing has changed
What makes this essential? Clearly not the lyrics. The singing isn't that great, music doesn't stand out.
Dark lyrics over interesting music
This felt like it was trying so desperately to be off-centre and quirky, but in actuality it was all just mildly boring and non-committal. Unremarkable slacker-ish indie disguised under a veil of meaningless sound effects.
Proto quirk chungus ahh music shrek 2
shrek moment
manchild indeed. this is giving losercore (derogatory); i feel like there's some potential sonically, i enjoyed the weird spoken word bit in track 2. self-pitying pick-me boy malarkey is not done here in a way that works for me, spoils the vibes of something otherwise tolerable. self-loathing i will indulge but self-pity? higher bar. fav: mental
I mean it’s ok.
Nothing special
..
With the exception of some brief moments, this album is ass. Almost in one star territory
Fine 90s indie/alt rock sound pulling with an artier and poppier approach, with fairly eclectic songs that are well crafted and fairly rich. The singer can be both sincere and use that dry-delivered irony that became some common in later indie rock. Overall Unmemorable, but fine I guess. Definitely not a neccary listen prior to perishing
Hadn’t really taken the time to fully listen to this record, but after a proper listen I felt like a joint and bourbon. the record swings between cracked humor, self-loathing & tenderness. Shoutout to Susan. 2.5/5 (I know you can’t do that but that’s my rating)
Competent enough 90s "slacker"/alt. rock, but even some of the tracks that should grab me just make me wish I was listening to better bands. Susan's House in particular just makes me want to turn the record off and go listen to Soul Coughing instead.
Not my style and a little dark for me.
Not bad, but nothing remarkable.
Eels is primarily one guy (Mark Oliver Everett) from Los Angeles, who formerly went by simply E. The album is alternative rock and includes a couple of minor singles. The music is forgettable, the sound quality is good. Overall 2.5 stars.
Couple of okay songs but bland overall
Knew a few of these songs, not a bad one but I don't think I'd come back to the album!
Horrible portada y horrible primera lyric del album... life is hard and so am i????? Creo que este album tenia potencial para ser mejor porque a veces las bases de las canciones se ponen raras en el buen sentido pero las letras son disturbing y overall no es disfrutable 3/10
i was delighted from the first song cause it's such a 90's time capsule, but by song two i realized this music doesn't activate a single neuron in my brain. My Beloved Monster was in shrek thats pretty cool
Rating this album is hard, and so am I. Falls under "funny music" so tough start there already, though not too bad. Kept me interested even if it was a little weird and I hate the album cover 4.5/10
Okish
I hear lots of genremates as influence like Cake, Pearl jam, and even some Melvins. Occasional lower tempo sections that sound like Dave Matthews or Dispatch. But, I wasn't moved by the end product. A good album for exercise but not so important to the ears. Nor the eyes, what up with that albo cover?
4/14 Meh
I've always found it hard to get into Eels, and no I don't mean the strange and almost mythical swimming creature. But like the animal, I think this should go to Bermuda Triangle, but perhaps never come back. "Novocaine For The Soul" doesn't save it I'm afraid.
It's like if Nirvana did the KMart music...
Those first three songs lie about what the rest of the album is going to be.
I thought I was going to enjoy this more based on the first song but it kinda fell apart the longer it went on. Almost gave it a bonus star for being better than the shitty British 90’s bands we’ve been forced to listen to on this endless quest to reinforce that personal music taste is far more meaningful than any type of list of “best albums”
Lame, boring. Walkie talkie to God lyric hahaha
Beautiful Freaks 1. this song pretty popular. i don’t like it though. it’s too emo and i don’t like how he talks about being hard. 2. i don’t like this. i don’t like the rhythm and i don’t like the freaky stories. i hate the going over to susan’s house. tbh it is interesting though but i still don’t like it 3. did not care for it 4. a bit strange but not bad 5. I LOVE RHOS SONG ITS SO GOOD 6. meh 7. meh 8. love it reminded me of creep by radio head 9. okay but i don’t like the lyrics only the way they’re sung 10. bleh 11. creepy but i liked it 12. eh
Not something I would listen to on the daily. Could be good background music while reading though.
I feel like I'm trying to concentrate on this album but keep drifting away. Also the cover is kinda terrifying.
I had a lot of hope for this after the first few songs but after a while it so blended into a boring, crap mess
Nice clean sound and the band know how to knock out a melody or hook but it lacks the emotion and depth I like from rock. Similar to the Cardigans in that way.
Previously unknown. Sounds sometimes like Beck, sometimes like Wilco, but not quite as interesting as either.
meh. angsty. airy.
quite boring, prefer eels the animal
Save:0
Shrek music caught me off guard. And sadly I really only like that one.
I'm on a bit of a downer today and this was not what I needed to listen to. I knew some of it from the first time round, however listening to it again it's pretty depressing stuff.
#870. Dull and repetitive. Definitely not something I'd class as worthy of a second listen. 2/5: meh
Distinct cover, distinct sound, just not for me
I remember in college I told someone my favorite band was Ween. So they told me if I love Ween, I would love Eels. Got the album and was extremely disappointed. That person was an idiot. Listening to the album for the first time in nearly 3 decades… I don’t hate it as much, but I am not sure why this is on this list. I would put the Mollusk up against this any day.
Hadde det ikke vært greiest for alle hvis han bæsjet seg ferdig før han begynte å synge? Det høres så rart ut når han trøkker og spiller inn vokal samtidig.
392/1089 - Awful voice and rudimentary instrumentals one level above most country music on this list.
Pretty generic alt rock
If it weren’t for that shrek song it would be a 1
Don't really feel too much like listening to this again, tired of this indie shit. Still feeling generous enough to give it 2 stars, cause it could always be much worse. Ok, on the 2nd listen it's not bad, def at least 2.5 on RYM, still not sure about 3 though.
A real disappointing downer of an album. This one could really pack a punch but it feels like it’s holding back.
Music to do heroine to
Listened Before? No Pros: Classic 90s grunge, some good moments, didn't totally hate listening to it Cons: Truly fugly album art, "life is hard and so am I", just overall not my favorite, got boring in parts Songs Added to Playlist: None lol
Mid
Was kinda vibing with this at the start, but it really wore on me as the album went on. It’s not atrocious, but the most remarkable part of it was the cover art. Too freaky
I feel like I'm a pretty big Shrek fan, that first movie was on heavy rotation, it formed childhood nostalgia. It was a surprise to me when I found out one of these songs was in the montage skit. I'd already heard this project twice and it had never rung a bell. The point is that for me to not immediately remember this, it must have been real fucking bland. No disrespect to Mr. E, there is technical talent on here, but the project feels like it's meant for wholesome background music because that's likely what the production team wanted. 2.2/5
Depri-Rock. Ok zu hören, aber nichts was mich dazu bringt, es nochmal zu hören. 2-3/5
Meh
some good stuff but repetitive as hell
Vraiment très mid. J'haïs le drum. 2.49 étoiles
😐
Listened Before? N This seems like one of those "love it or hate it" albums. The music itself is decent, but the weird art on the cover and strange themes throughout just kind of didn't do it for me. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Novocaine For The Soul