Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations

I felt lost in space after my first trip through the new Eels album, thinking that surely the blinking lights referenced those of satellites, floating lonesomely in the dark abyss. The mildly depressed and sardonic wit of Mark “E” Everett had taken melancholy to a much more pronounced level than his previous offerings. That, combined with the scope of the project (two discs comprised of 33 tracks), made Blinking Lights and Other Revelations difficult to get into. Blinking Lights plays like a Charles Dickens’ novel turned into a musical. Songs depict rougher-than-life characters, mournful places, and time-taught lessons as they wearily start and end like so many chapters in a book. The smiling, red-nosed drunk of a father passed out inside the front door from the song “Son of a Bitch” may be the pinnacle of these creations. It would be easy to pass over this meandering collection of songs if one was in the wrong mood. The wrong mood being a good mood; I was in said good mood my first listen, and nothing struck me. I put aside the double album feeling bored and little disappointed. Several days later, awash in freshly minted depression, I gave Blinking Lights another try. Clearly, it was brilliant. Not only did I connect with the album, but throughout the next couple days it beautifully ushered me through my bout of random depression and gently led me to a cathartic conclusion in which a handful of woefully upbeat and seemingly misplaced songs suddenly stood out as being perfectly placed and, well, just right. This is not an album for all occasions; hopefully no one will feel compelled to listen to it everyday (how depressing). Instead, it is a perfect album to pull out when you’re feeling down and want to get out, but not too fast. [www.eelstheband.com]