[.ca] Daisies of the Galaxy

Un Essentiel amazon.fr:
Leur premier single, "Novocaine For The Soul" avait converti la planète au culte des Eels, trois petits génies aussi inclassables que talentueux. Quatre ans après ce premier coup d'éclat, en 2000, sort "Daisies Of The Galaxy", qui confirme toutes les promesses des deux albums précédents. S'il ne reste de la formation d'origine que Mark Oliver Everett, alias E, chanteur et parolier futé, et le batteur Butch, l'inspiration demeure. "I Like Birds" est une comptine farfelue et savoureuse, "Flyswatter" plonge l'auditeur dans un climat irréel grâce à sa mélodie de boîte à musique aigrelette et ses choeurs hantés, "Daisy Through Concrete" flirte avec le jazz acrobate de Gershwin... En résumé, les ambiances se suivent sans jamais se ressembler ; chaque chanson tire le portrait, avec humour, d'une Amérique pittoresque et le son mal léché préserve les Eels de trop de virtuosité. On pourra donc classer "Daisies Of The Galaxy" à côté de sa collection d'albums de Beck, dans la catégorie bricoleurs géniaux. -- Isabelle Chelley

From Amazon.co.uk:
Eels burst out to prominence with 1996's witty, bold paean to geekdom Beautiful Freak, which matched black humour with bold arrangements and catchy melodies. Its follow-up, Electro Shock Blues--written against the backdrop of the suicide of frontman E's sister and the terminal disease afflicting his mother--was beautiful, but its bleak content proved too naked for fans of hits like "Novocaine For The Soul" and "Susan's House". Daisies Of The Galaxy pulls back from the abyss to which E took his music having lighter arrangements and more of his quirky lyricism. The themes are largely unchanged--his mother died during the making of the album and it opens with a track, "Grace Kelly's Blues", which recalls a New Orleans funeral--but Daisies also meditates on escape ("Packing Blankets") and desire ("Jeannie's Diary"). The pervading sense of loneliness and loss clings nevertheless, notably on the deeply moving ballad "It's A Motherfucker" ("being here without you"). It can't all be sweetness and light. --Mike Pattenden

Listening to the unbridled grief on Electro-Shock Blues was an unsettling affair, despite the album's beautiful pop-scrim setting. So one listens to Daisies of the Galaxy for the first time with trepidation--like willfully banging on your foot with a ball-peen hammer just for the endorphin rush. But if Blues was about the descent, Daisies is about the ascension toward a fragile health. "I'm feeling pretty good now," E sings on "Grace Kelly Blues." However, the music breaks and quivers with a kind of emotional instability, undermining his assurances. It's a tender balance, and no one registers the sad-happy yin-yang of life with tenderness quite like E. Which in some ways is pretty damned unsettling. --Tod Nelson

the sound of coming down:
after the claustrophobia that was Electro-Shock Blues, E and Company have made the logical progression to a sense of relief. Electro was a fantastic album, boiling over with imagination and thick, gorgeous arrangements. however, the crushing sadness of it all at times threatened to overwhelm the listener. luckily, with 'Daisies' eels have made an album that is as sweet as it is bitter.

Life Ain't So Bad!:
eels' 'Electro-Shock Blues' was dark and gloomy. DotG starts with a fanfare, horns that set the stage for a happy song. And Grace Kelly blues is a happy song, though the content is a little sad. Just an acoustic guitar (mostly capoed) and sometimes a piano are the instruments mostly used. Keyboards are a favorite instrument and many organ sounds like in 'Tiger in my Tank' There has never been an eels-album that has made me happier than this one. 'God**** right it's a beautiful day'!

It's a motherfugger:
This is a true classic. Elewctro shock Blues is honest and poetic, but so is this one. And this one is far more fun to listen to. It doesn't make me want to blow my brains out like the ultradowner mood of elctro-shock. Though Electro shock is brilliant and pretty. I love Birds, Its a Motherhuffer, Sound of Fear, Packing Blankets, Jeanie's Diary, the whole album. It's great. Buy it. the Eels rule....

60's Pop Milleniumised:
The Eels have released four outstanding albums so far, and I like each one in its own way. Dasies of the Galaxy is the most fun to listen to, however. It has a really neat acoustic hippie-rock feel to it, plus great lyrics that can really help you feel better if you're depressed. From the brass orchestra on "Grace Kelly Blues" to the rocking finale that "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" provides, this CD is a great listen the whole way through. Key tracks include "Packing Blankets," "Flyswatter," "Wooden Nickels," and "The Sound of Fear," although there are almost no bad songs to be found here. The Eels are one of the best bands in America at the present moment. If you like this CD, then also check out the Doves, New End Original, Sunny Day Real Estate, and (if you haven't already) Radiohead.

6 stars if that were possible!:
I haven't heard shootenanny yet, but this is by far their best album. I have converted my friends to harcore Eels fans after they heard this CD. Every song on this album deserves special mention - from the lyrics to the catchy music, this is a must for all eels fans. I just hope they come to Seattle sometime soon. Can't wait to hear them live. I would also highly recommend Beautiful Freak in addition to this album.