Eels (album)
| Eels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Being Dead | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Garage rock[1] | |||
| Length | 39:40 | |||
| Label | Bayonet | |||
| Producer | John Congleton | |||
| Being Dead chronology | ||||
| ||||
Eels is the second studio album by American rock band Being Dead. It was released on September 27, 2024, through Bayonet Records. Arriving over a year after their debut studio album When Horses Would Run, the album was met with universal acclaim from critics.
Background
[edit]The trio, consisting of Juli Keller, Cody Dosier and Nicole Roman-Johnston, was formed in Austin, Texas and released their studio debut on July 14, 2023, entitled When Horses Would Run.[2] Their follow-up record Eels was produced by John Congleton, who previously worked with the likes of St. Vincent, Mannequin Pussy and Explosions in the Sky.[3] On the album, Being Dead explores themes, including "anxiety about self-worth", days wasted and the void after a "fleeting relief of hedonistic release".[4]
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.0/10[5] |
| Metacritic | 89/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Far Out |  [1] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[8] |
| Paste | 8.3/10[2] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[3] |
Eels received a score of 89 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[6] Daniel Felsenthal of Pitchfork awarded the album the accolade "Best New Music", saying that albeit their music seems "bare-bones", it includes a variety of "unexpected" instruments, such as "Mellotron, banjo, Casio drums". Felsenthal thought a recurring theme throughout the record was "motion" as it is "constantly changing" and "speeding along". They concluded that the trio remakes "the future in the image of the past".[3]
Handing out the same score in a review for Paste, Ben Salmon praised not only their ability of "writing great songs" but to push their music into "interesting, unexpected places". Salmon calls Eels a compilation of "sharp zig-zags and even sharper hooks" and drew comparisons to artists such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Animal Collective, That Dog. and the Beach Boys.[2] Lloyd Bolton at The Line of Best Fit called Eels "good chaos" with an overflow of "ideas" that alternate between "short-form experiments" and "more developed songs" that keeps piquing the listener's interest.
Year-end lists
[edit]| Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AllMusic | AllMusic's 100 Favorite Albums of 2024 | - | [9] |
| Alternative Press | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | - | [10] |
| Gorilla vs. Bear | Albums of 2024 | 3 | [11] |
| Paste | 100 Best Albums of 2024 | 46 | [12] |
| Pitchfork | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 38 | [13] |
| PopMatters | 80 Best Albums of 2024 | 17 | [14] |
| Uproxx | Best Albums of 2024 | - | [15] |
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Being Dead
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Godzilla Rises" | 2:47 |
| 2. | "Van Goes" | 3:33 |
| 3. | "Blanket of My Bone" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Problems" | 3:41 |
| 5. | "Firefighters" | 4:30 |
| 6. | "Dragons II" | 2:00 |
| 7. | "Nightvision" | 2:55 |
| 8. | "Gazing at Footwear" | 2:17 |
| 9. | "Big Bovine" | 2:49 |
| 10. | "Storybook Bay" | 0:33 |
| 11. | "Ballerina" | 1:49 |
| 12. | "Rock n' Roll Hurts" | 2:08 |
| 13. | "Love Machine" | 2:03 |
| 14. | "I Was a Tunnel" | 1:00 |
| 15. | "Goodnight" | 3:36 |
| 16. | "Lilypad Lane" | 0:46 |
| Total length: | 39:40 | |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Taylor, Tom (September 26, 2024). "Being Dead – Eels album review: a classic on too much caffeine". Far Out. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Salmon, Ben (September 27, 2024). "Album Review: Eels – Being Dead". Paste. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Felsenthal, Daniel (October 3, 2024). "Being Dead: Eels Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Ray, Scott (September 26, 2024). "The Truth About Being Dead". Texas Monthly. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ "Eels by Being Dead Reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Eels by Being Dead Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Eels Review by Marcy Donelson". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Bolton, Lloyd (September 26, 2024). "Being Dead become chaotic good on Eels". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ "AllMusic Best of 2024". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Zanes, Anna; Hardman, Neville (December 12, 2024). "50 best albums of 2024". altpress.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Chris (December 3, 2024). "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2024". gorillavsbear.net. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Paste Staff (December 2, 2024). "The 100 Best Albums of 2024". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Pitchfork Staff (December 3, 2024). "The 50 Best Albums of 2024". pitchfork.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ PopMatters Staff (December 13, 2024). "The 80 Best Albums of 2024". popmatters.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Uproxx Music; Cosores, Philip (December 3, 2024). "The Best Albums of 2024". uproxx.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.