Long-awaited mountain of songs from the elusive E
A massive, wafting whirlwind of baroque pop, warbled lyrics and outsiders’ sentiment, Eels’ sixth full-album release finds our protagonist E hunting for the kitchen sink with a mischievous grin and a basement tan. Having long since introduced his fans to orchestral ambition and multi-instrumentalist eclectica, what’s most interesting about Blinking Lights is how much he focuses on his instincts as a songwriter—loosening true pop moments sparingly, almost tauntingly, as on the overtly Beck-ish “Going Fetal.” With a copious barrage of relatively short songs, the two discs offered here brim with ideas, some more navel-gazing than others. Between hints of Beck and Bright Eyes one can’t help but suspect the influence of contemporaries, and if that happens to endear this album to the supposed “indie yuppies,” well, so be it. There are far worse things to embrace than this sprawling but introspective song-cycle-and-a-half. Jeff Leven