Eel - People People

Though it’s her first release on Records of the Damned, People People is actually the second of many albums Eel has released in Japan. It’s a mishmash of practically everything imaginable, featuring toy horns, bagpipes, guiros, steel drums, and xylophones alongside samples from horse race announcers, yowling cats, people eating, and (if memory serves) Atari’s Combat. Calypso, polka, lounge, and a jig are mixed indiscriminately with 8-bit sound effects. Hell, there’s even a slightly altered version of the Chipmunks’ “Witch Doctor” on the torturous title track, as well as a song solely devoted to promoting Eel’s debut album. Sound nutty? That’s because it is. But what’s nuttier still is that it works. Most of Eel’s songs are nice little pop confections: They’re so light and sugary, you’ll grow giddy just by listening, even if you do find yourself questioning your own sanity by album’s end. [www.recordsofthedamned.com]