Eels 'End Times'

Break-up albums seem to be all the rage these days. Noah and The Whale's excellent 'The First Days Of Spring' was an enthralling account and dissection of the last days and aftermath of a relationship and the new Eels record seems to be designed from a similar template, but with some differences.

'End Times' begins with 'The Beginning', a flashback to the opening days of the relationship when everything was "beautiful and free". Delicate and acoustic, it seems to set the scene for the unraveling of the story to come. Instead, Everett moves right to the end with 'Gone Man', a fuzzy rocker which thematically links the end of the relationship with the deterioration of the planet. Its a great track and easily the most raucous recording here.

From here on, the album mainly focuses on acoustic laments, heavy on self pity and sorrow. 'In My Younger Days', for example, is beautifully sung but deeply depressing as Everett describes how he would have been able to shrug off a setback like this...if he wasn't so damn old. Here and there, the songwriting is so accomplished that it rises above the gloom. 'A Line In The Dirt', with some piano and a falsetto vocal, encapsulates the end of the relationship in a verse and a chorus (including the killer line..."she locked herself in the bathroom again/ so I am pissing in the yard")and is the best track on the album.

Things are more interesting too when Everett moves away from the acoustic laments. 'Paradise Blues' is livelier again with some anger in evidence, while 'Apple Trees' is a sad, spoken word reminiscence but sounds fresh and different.

The album, of course, describes Everett's real-life separation and divorce and there is no resolution towards the end of the album. 'Little Bird' is the nadir, with Everett describing a bird on his porch as his only friend, over a lifeless guitar tune this really is too much. The closing track 'On My Feet' predictably describes Everett's attempts to move on from his pain.

Everything here, with the exceptions of 'Little Bird' and the similarly unspeakable 'I Need A Mother', is eminently listenable and accomplished but the middle part of the record is filled with too many samey downbeat laments. I know this was never a record that would be full of joy and laughter but at times it is seriously hard work. There is still enough here though to show that Eels remains a quality singer-songwriter and capable of real innovation.

7.6

['End Times' is out now on Vagrant]