Album Review: Eels - Wonderful, Glorious

Wonderful, Glorious is the tenth album from Eels since Mark Oliver Everette, better known as E, started the band in the early to mid '90s. Which means that if you grew up in the '90s and early '00s, you've grown up with Eels and with E's voice and stories. Eels really is E's project, with the rest of the band consisting of the regularly rotating cast of other musicians who play with him.

As inconsistent as that sounds, Wonderful, Glorious, along with most Eels releases, could not be mistaken for music by anyone else. Perhaps gruffer overall than previous releases like Daisies of the Galaxy or Beautiful Freak, it's not without its quieter, more reflective moments on tracks like Accident Prone and True Original. Opening with the rough intensity of Bombs Away, it finishes with the majesty and close production of title track Wonderful Glorious, skipping through a variety of tones and styles in between. 

The true mark of this album, though, is one of maturity. Enough variety to keep it interesting but reigned in enough for consistency, the album is blended with balance and skill. This is a solid, experienced piece of work from an industry musician who has been releasing music prolifically but skilfully for over a decade. There are few surprises here, but far fewer disappointments.