Customer Reviews

Hombre Lobo

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

E is back, sporting a ZZ Top beard and a new wolf-man persona. It's been 5 long years since his last proper album, a somber and inward-focused double-CD set entitled "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations." As is typical for Mr. E, quieter albums tend to be followed by noisier ones. However, no matter what ideas E is trying on for size, everything he records is stamped with his unique and compelling persona. This one is no exception.

Sometimes wearing a mask allows us the freedom to show a side of ourselves that we might otherwise be afraid to reveal. Here, E has assumed a persona of sorts, which differs from anything his audience has seen to date. He's a lusty, swaggering wolfman, carrying a cane and prowling the night. This assumed role seems to allow him to project a confidence unheard in much of his material, displayed most clearly on the opening track "Prizefighter" and the single "Fresh Blood." But what makes this album most compelling is when E drops the guise and reveals his true insecurities, as on "The Look You Give That Guy." That dichotomy makes this wolfman seem all the more human, for beneath the fuzz and fangs still lies a fundamentally reflective and at times insecure person.

The conceptual aspect of this disc is fun and meaningful, but never threatens to overwhelm the content. Song-for-song, this is one of E's best collections. Almost every one of these tracks could stand on its own as a single. The stripped-down sound that E has featured on some of his rawer albums (Souljacker, for example) is in full effect and really works in E's favor. Overall the man sounds energized, mature and confident, always with something interesting and often poignant to say.

E remains the consummate cult artist, and in many ways it's not surprising. His unflinching portraits of insecurity and emotion take some getting used to, especially in the current musical climate. Each project he records is something unique and interesting. This is one of his best to date.

Eels is a great band, and it has been since before it even WAS a band (I'm referring, of course, to E's two solo albums before forming the group). E has always balanced his edgy side with a gentler, softer aspect, composing songs like small trinkets or snapshots. My favorites are "Electro-Shock Blues," a masterpiece of mourning, and "Souljacker," in which E indulged his more grotesque inclinations. Hombre Lobo merges the best of both worlds.

One of the great things about Eels is that even when rocking out with heavily distorted guitars, as in "Lilac Breeze," they never lose their sense of melody. There's a real love of songcraft here, not to mention a mastery of the recording studio. Studio trickery never overwhelms the songs - and the songs are never lacking for the right accompaniment (notice the explosive chorus of "Tremendous Dynamite.")

It's too soon to tell (and doesn't really matter) how this will rank amongst Eels's other cds, but one thing's for sure: this is the perfect Eels album for 2009, and a great addition to an already stunning catalog.

Just wanna start by saying I love Eels. They were one of the first bands I fell in love with once I really started getting into music and since then have salivated at every new album. Every CD they've put out has been either a masterpiece or a near-masterpiece so the bar for "Hombre Lobo" has been set pretty high, but unfortunately I just don't feel they hit it this time.

The 12 songs are a mix of upbeat and mellow, more upbeat than previous albums which is where I think things go wrong. E lately hasn't been that great at rocking out (early Eels albums have awesome go-crazy songs but recent attempts IMHO have felt sort of strained and contrived) I dig his voice but the gruff hoarseness just doesn't make for loud singing or screaming. It's much better on the tender, quieter stuff. All the fast songs also sound pretty much identical which is never good. "Lilac Breeze" "Tremendous Dynamite" and "What's A Fella Gotta Do" honestly just made me wince.

"Hombre Lobo" is saved by the slower, what I feel are the more archetype Eels-songs. "That Look You Give That Guy" and "In My Dreams" are nice breezy numbers that are perfect for bummin around on a lazy afternoon. However everything is overshadowed by the tragic "My Timing Is Off" which I think is the best track on here and can be likened to last album's "Railroad Man". (which not surprisingly is my fav song on "Blinking Lights")

Overall it's a good album, it's just more of the same. E is a great lyricist but how many songs can he possibly write about being an outsider looking for love? Musically it's good, but isn't very creative and creativity is what we expect from Eels given how original they've proven themselves to be. I feel like I could've come up with most of these songs myself. It's a cliched thing to say, but this is a perfect example of a CD that's better than most of what's out there but for what the artist is capable of...it's sort of a miss. "Hombre Lobo" will be in my CD player for awhile, but I'm sticking with "Daisies of the Galaxy" when someone asks what album is the best to get into Eels with.

Mark Oliver Everett, or just "E," either suffers from a maddening case of unrequited love or morphs into that person with naturally. Either way, he is not keeping quiet about the myriad frustrations that accompany love on the Eels' short (around 42 minutes) but focused release "Hombre Lobo." He and his fellow conspirators Koool G Murder on bass and Knuckles on drums offer a collection of songs linked by theme and balanced by tone and energy. It seems almost that there is a yin-yang approach, a gruff, kick-ass tune counterbalanced with a heartsick ballad, all drenched in the madness of someone on a lonely quest seeking solace while howling under a full moon.

In other words, this is good stuff, delivered with doses of gruff and grace (that fall between Tom Waits' orneriness and Joe Henry's textures.) The outstanding rhythm section keeps matters lively, allowing E plenty of room to unleash his deprived lone wolf persona however he sees fit. For the record, this is my first Eels' CD, and I look forward to exploring the earlier recordings in their discography.

E, or Mark Oliver Everett for those unfamiliar with the band, has delivered yet another fine album that manages to set itself apart from his already vast body of work. I'd go as far to say that, if you've never heard the EELS before, you should start with Hombre Lobo, as it is definitely the most accessible of E's work (Shootenanny gets a nod here in this regard as well). This is more or less E's first 'concept album' (although Electro-Shock blues comes close), which definitely contributes to the accessibility of it, as thoe familiar with E know that he can churn out some pretty weird stuff. Plus, after the release of 'Blinking Lights and Other Revelations,' an epic 2-disc set representing the culmination of almost 7 years work, I'd say a shorter, more focused album was the right call to make, wouldn't you?

Hombre Lobo is everything you'd want from an EELS album. That Look You Give That Guy, carried by E's impeccable delivery, has instantly become one of E's most memorable tunes (a true feat). Beginner's Luck is a great, catchy rocker. My Timing Is Off is a classic EELS groove, and Fresh Blood, with its menacing groove and lyrics accurately capturing the mood of a despeate man on the prowl, will immediately grab your attention and stay in your head for a long time. You will not be disappointed by Hombre Lobo. Any EELS fan will love it, and it's also a great starting point for beginners.

I'm not a stranger to the Eels. They come up frequently on my Pandora, and I've downloaded a few tracks in the past. I'm aware of E, and his whole spiel. He's a very entertaining musician who isn't afraid to get really raw. E goes beyond raw in this album, which features his lupine alter ego. Easily the best tracks on this are the faster and more up-tempo ones, such as "Fresh Blood" (probably the stand-out track on the album). This album sometimes comes down to the crunch of blues-rock in certain spots, although it never seems derivative. All in all a great album to own, and I highly recommend it.

Absolutely love the straightforward lyrics and no messin' approach of the music. It has a directness and emotional honesty right at the heart of what rock music is all about. About not getting the girl or maybe even being on the verge of success....correctly billed as songs of desire from a 'wolf man' LOL This is really encouraging for those who fear the album is dead. Here's an example of one that hangs together from beginning to end. It is short, tuneful and the vocals perfectly suit the material. I'm actually surprised although i have no idea why. surprised i can actaully like an album like this in 2011. surprised and happy to listen.

If you're a fan of E then you'll enjoy this album. Definitly not his best as far as radio songs, though.

I've been listening to CD from time to time and I love it is a solid album but after Blinking Lights and other Revelations I feel that its near impossible to top that. The album for me has been a great slow burn and it totally works as concept album and I hate concept albums because they usually come off pretentious this does not it's a must buy for fans.

Here are some seriously choice tracks:
In My Dreams
Tremendous Dynamite
All the Beautiful Things
Beginners Luck(which is my absolute favorite track)

It's hard to top the masterpiece that is "Blinking Lights" yet I'm pretty sure every Eels fan out there was expecting E to do just that. This is where some disappointment for Hombre Lobo comes from.

On first listen I was immediately disappointed...where were the crazy, catchy, awesome songs that accompany every Eels album? Not that the songs were bad, mind you, but I didn't think they were any where near the same level of greatness as his previous material. I put the album away and was in disbelief that E could've made such an ordinary album.

I picked it back up about a week later and couldn't believe how badly I had misjudged this album. This was pretty amazing stuff. It's as different from Blinking Lights as Souljacker is from Shootenanny... and therein lies the rub. I was judging Lobo based on his previous albums and that wasn't fair to the album itself.

Hombre Lobo is full of great tunes. The first half of the album alternates between loud fuzzy rock songs, reminscent of "Dog Faced Boy", and bittersweet, softer songs not unlike a lot of the material from Blinking Lights. These constantly alternating styles takes you in and out of his wolf persona.
My favorite song on this album, easily, is Beginner's Luck. A relatively short song with a killer scream-sing chorus line.

I really love this album and if at first you don't like it, try listening to it without thinking about his other albums.


Key Track: Beginner's Luck