Eels
With Strings: Live At Town Hall

THE REVIEW

2005 marks the return of the Eels with "Blinking Lights And Other Revelations," an ambitious project that does not betray expectations like the previous two studio efforts; however, in my opinion, the leader Mr. E's intentions have surpassed the band's actual possibilities, and the valuable tracks - there are even some masterpieces - could very well fit on a single CD, the rest was avoidable and makes the listening a bit tedious, even risking to overshadow the gems of the album.

In 2006 a live album recorded in New York during a date of the Eels With Strings tour is released. The lineup is stripped down: Mr. E is joined by Chet Atkins III and Big Al, two excellent multi-instrumentalists, but the true novelty is indicated by the title, the string quartet neatly arranged behind the singer that enhances the band's music. Since time immemorial, rock has relied on the support of orchestras, strings, and instruments typical of classical music, and in this live performance, it is interesting to note how two trends coexist and intertwine in an exquisitely refined way: on one hand, the singer-songwriter pushes the arrangements towards a cleanliness and succinctness typical of unplugged sessions, with his tinkling guitar, the old piano and the muffled percussion, and on the other, the skilled and always controlled work of the four girls on violins, viola, and cello.

The songs thus find themselves in a pleasant limbo that is neither poor nor manneristic, although unfortunately, we can notice a flaw in the leader's attitude himself: it seems to me that sometimes he indulges too much in the role of the misunderstood, somewhat cursed, somewhat anguished, for example in "If You See Natalie" and "I'm Going To Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart". I don't want to blame him because his voice is more beautiful than ever: mature and balanced between dry and hoarse, it reaches particularly moving expressionistic peaks in "Bus Stop Boxer", "Dirty Girl", "The Only Thing I Care About".

Another remarkable element is the expressive capability of the classical instruments, which are explored in all their timbral possibilities to reveal their quality in the orchestral transition from "Flyswatter" to "Novocaine For The Soul" - reminiscent of Velvet Underground tuning their instruments, or even ghost songs suitable for the late October atmosphere; again, the splendid "Girl From The North Country", Dylan's cover masterfully interpreted in all its melancholy and sweetness. Among the more lively tracks appear successfully rendered "I Like Birds", "Pretty Ballerina", and "Losing Streak", with their bouncing piano, while with the new arrangements, "Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)" loses all its carefree anarchic charm. The concert ends with the cathartic "Things The Grandchildren Shouldn't Know"... the slides remind us of Neil Young, the broad breath of strings of the closing credits of a surreal and romantic film, until the very sweet simplicity of the reprise of the theme of "Blinking Lights": it is something that opens the heart!

I understand that the album may not appeal to those who love to hear dirtier sounds in live recordings, to those who particularly appreciate the group's early work, and to those who prefer rock to be solely rock and classical music solely classical music; it may perhaps relatively validate those who claim a loss of inspiration and innovative scope of Mr. E. To all these people, I remind that "alternative" music should not just be experimentation but also a study of its melodic capabilities and that after this tour, the band reversed the game in the "No String Attached Tour," stunning fans by revisiting the repertoire according to blues and noise logics.

from "Railroad Man"
"I feel like an old railroad man
That's really trying the best that he can
To make his life add up to something good
But this engine no longer burns on wood
And I guess I may never understand
The times that I live in are not made for railroad men

I feel like an old railroad man
Gettin' on board at the end of an age
The station's empty and the whistle blows
Things are faster now, this train is just too slow
And I know I can walk along the