14 tracks, but really only 5 songs...
Chent Alay | Chicago, IL | 02/01/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"C'mon EELS. You can do better.
There may be 14 tracks on "End Times" but about every other song sounds exactly the same. You have to listen to each song repeatedly by itself about 6 times before finding the subtle differences between that song and the one before it. "End Times" feels more like an EP that Mark Everett decided to extend by replicating some of the songs and simply tweaking the chords/lyrics. I find it hard to believe that after the less-than-stellar reviews of their last album "Hombre Lobo", the EELS didn't just dig into their leftover recording stash and quickly come up with some new songs to make a whole new album.
Everett said leading up to "End Times" that it would be darker than "Hombre Lobo" and more in line with the superb yet also very somber "Electro Shock Blues" so we all knew to expect the melancholy, trademark lyrics the EELS are truly known for. But the difference between "End Times" and past dark material like "Electro Shock Blues" is that "Electro Shock Blues" was indeed slow, yet creative and interesting. Songs like 'PS You Rock My World' and 'Climbing Up To The Moon' are moody but extremely clever both in tune and lyrics. "End Times" is just boring. EELS have shown in the past you can have chill, more melodic songs that are still intriguing. Almost every track on "End Times" made me want to go to sleep. (even the more upbeat songs like 'Gone Man' and 'Paradise Blues' also aren't very original...pretty sure I've heard the exact same chords and beats on a million other albums) "End Times" is also chock-full of anticlimax. Throughout most of the songs you're waiting for a build-up or a climax that just never delivers.
With "Hombre Lobo" you could say that while it wasn't on par with what the EELS are capable of, it was at least a good album on it's own. Sadly that's not true for "End Times." On the list of ranked EELS albums, this 14-track snoozefest is at the very bottom in my opinion and on it's own isn't a very memorable CD.
"
