Eels: Useless Trinkets
Rarities and B-sides from Mr E's gloomy crew.
Monday, 21, Jan 2008 09:27
Polydor, out January 21st.
In a nutshell...
Melancholic, smooth, cool, unusual, beautiful.
What's it all about?
Celebrating the first ten years of a band whose style has changed almost as frequently as its line up, Useless Trinkets is part of a double release that also sees a 24-track best of album entitled Meet The Eels.
The double CD and accompanying DVD is a 50-track walk through some of The Eels' contributions to movies such as Holes, The Grinch and The End Of Violence and includes a number of live BBC performances and cover versions of tracks by Prince and Screamin' Jay Hawkins', among others.
Who's it by?
Essentially the Eels are a one man band in the shape of a singer/songwriter and musician who goes by the name of E, Mr E or sometimes just plain old Mark Oliver Everett.
Backed by an ever-changing line-up of session musicians, Everett has continued to avoid categorisation and retain a level of anonymity and cool that has won the adoration of critics and music fans for long enough that both a rarities and greatest hits release seems - for a nice change - justified.
As an example...
"Another scary dream/another cigarette/she's locked outside a world/just a Manchester girl/ooh I'll meet you there/by the old news stand/ooh I'll meet you there... tonight." - Manchester Girls.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Although unusual for a collection of rarities to grace the stage of the Grammys it would be equally strange for Useless Trinkets to be unwelcome by fans and critics alike.
However, this release may ultimately become a purchase for completists only and at 50-plus tracks could be a little heavy for the casual listener.
What the others say
"Alongside its take-them-or-leave-them live recordings and remixes are a fair number of absolute gems. BBC session track and spare piano lament Manchester Girl is one such." - Stephen Gilliver, Manchester Evening News.
"Trinkets is presented as a die-hards only kind of collection. But it would work equally well as an introduction to the band, as it contains all of the important elements that define the Eels sound." - Andrew Gilstrap, PopMatters.
So is it any good?
Following a host of critically acclaimed albums - including 2000's completely fat-free Daisies Of The Galaxy - there is certainly nothing that Useless Trinkets has to prove - and perhaps this is for the best.
Although there are some great tracks featured here, the songs are never in danger of becoming anything more than the b-sides and off-cuts that they claim to be. That said, songs such as Jennifer Eccles, Manchester Girls and Can't Help Falling in Love are as beautifully executed as anything the band has ever done.
A moog-voiced version of Novocaine For The Soul, as well as an adrenaline-fuelled rendition of I Like Birds provide an amusing spin on better-known tracks but will provide little for those unfamiliar with their previous incarnations.
Smooth, melancholic and always interesting, Useless Trinkets delivers exactly what it says on the sleeve for fans of the band and would be a worthy addition to any collection already sporting some of their other works.
However, for those looking for an introduction to the strange and beautiful world of The Eels - go buy the albums, you will not be disappointed.
7/10
Noel Mellor