Eels – End Times
It seems like not too long ago that we last heard from Eels, which is correct, as Hombre Loco came out in 2009, but we find E here on this album a far different man than where we encountered him. End Times, as the cover art suggests, shows a worn man living in isolation; he’s a man broken by love, or at least we can assume it is he, as E’s always been honest with us in his writing.
When the album opens with “In My Younger Days” you find a stripped down Everett, naked in front of his listener. He paints a picture of the difficulties he’s encountered overcoming loneliness in old age, something he found far easier in his “younger days.” The sparse instrumentation here is one huge difference from Hombre Loco, as you barely find a percussive element in the songwriting, except for the full-on country rocker, “Gone Man,” which aside from the lyrics, is one of the weaker songs on the record.
It’s clear throughout that E is reminiscing with us, as if he’s casually telling the story of love lost; it’s a story many listeners will soon turn to in their time of loneliness and strife. “In the Beginning” tells of the honeymoon phase, where problems seem trivial, as you’re consumed by the romance of it all. Unfortunately, the gruff vocals force the inevitable upon you, pushing you to see that in End Times things have clearly changed.
During “A Line in the Dirt” you find a couple at their worst moment, both afraid to be alone, yet knowing that the end will bring nothing but that very feeling. It’s clear that neither character wants to be without the other, though they can’t find a way to make it work. The juxtaposition with this song and “End Times” is perfect, as the story line reaches its climactic pinnacle. The album’s title track draws the story to a close, at least the break-up itself, and there is no going back from here.
Throughout the album, you find a narrator who is putting himself on display for his audience, revealing himself during his hardest times. It’s reminiscent of Sea Changes by Beck, where the songwriter meets with disillusionment and solitude, unwilling to accept his fate. Yet, as the album comes to a close, we find E “On His Feet.” He seems to have succumbed to the fact that the cyclical aspect of relationships coming and going is something we all must go through at some time or another. While he may not have been willing to give into it easily, it seems at the end of the record, he’s accepted his faults in the destruction of his relationship, and he’s ready to be back on his feet again; he’s ready “to be alright.”
It’s hard to adequately describe the music in his album, as it comes far behind the role of the lyrical value, which is possibly one of the few faults you’ll find on End Times. The story is one that we can all relate to, which is perhaps why this seems to be an ultimately more personable record than Hombre Loco. Let it be known that regardless of where life finds him, E knows his way around writing heartfelt tunes, and this album is chock full of them.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/EELS-Little-Bird.mp3]Download: Eels – Little Bird [MP3]