Eels is the second studio album by American rock band Being Dead. It was released on September 27, 2024, through Bayonet Records. Arriving over a year after their debut studio album When Horses Would Run, the album was met with universal acclaim from critics.
| Eels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Being Dead | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Garage rock[1] | |||
| Length | 39:40 | |||
| Label | Bayonet | |||
| Producer | John Congleton | |||
| Being Dead chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThe trio, consisting of Juli Keller, Cody Dosier and Nicole Roman-Johnston, was formed in Austin, Texas and released their studio debut on July 14, 2023, entitled When Horses Would Run.[2] Their follow-up record Eels was produced by John Congleton, who previously worked with the likes of St. Vincent, Mannequin Pussy and Explosions in the Sky.[3] On the album, Being Dead explores themes, including "anxiety about self-worth", days wasted and the void after a "fleeting relief of hedonistic release".[4]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.0/10[5] |
| Metacritic | 89/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Far Out |  [1] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[8] |
| Paste | 8.3/10[2] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[3] |
Eels received a score of 89 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[6] Daniel Felsenthal of Pitchfork awarded the album the accolade "Best New Music", saying that albeit their music seems "bare-bones", it includes a variety of "unexpected" instruments, such as "Mellotron, banjo, Casio drums". Felsenthal thought a recurring theme throughout the record was "motion" as it is "constantly changing" and "speeding along". They concluded that the trio remakes "the future in the image of the past".[3]
Handing out the same score in a review for Paste, Ben Salmon praised not only their ability of "writing great songs" but to push their music into "interesting, unexpected places". Salmon calls Eels a compilation of "sharp zig-zags and even sharper hooks" and drew comparisons to artists such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Animal Collective, That Dog. and the Beach Boys.[2] Lloyd Bolton at The Line of Best Fit called Eels "good chaos" with an overflow of "ideas" that alternate between "short-form experiments" and "more developed songs" that keeps piquing the listener's interest.
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Being Dead
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Godzilla Rises" | 2:47 |
| 2. | "Van Goes" | 3:33 |
| 3. | "Blanket of My Bone" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Problems" | 3:41 |
| 5. | "Firefighters" | 4:30 |
| 6. | "Dragons II" | 2:00 |
| 7. | "Nightvision" | 2:55 |
| 8. | "Gazing at Footwear" | 2:17 |
| 9. | "Big Bovine" | 2:49 |
| 10. | "Storybook Bay" | 0:33 |
| 11. | "Ballerina" | 1:49 |
| 12. | "Rock n' Roll Hurts" | 2:08 |
| 13. | "Love Machine" | 2:03 |
| 14. | "I Was a Tunnel" | 1:00 |
| 15. | "Goodnight" | 3:36 |
| 16. | "Lilypad Lane" | 0:46 |
| Total length: | 39:40 | |
References
edit- ^ a b Taylor, Tom (September 26, 2024). "Being Dead – Eels album review: a classic on too much caffeine". Far Out. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Salmon, Ben (September 27, 2024). "Album Review: Eels – Being Dead". Paste. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Felsenthal, Daniel (October 3, 2024). "Being Dead: Eels Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Ray, Scott (September 26, 2024). "The Truth About Being Dead". Texas Monthly. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ "Eels by Being Dead Reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Eels by Being Dead Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Eels Review by Marcy Donelson". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Bolton, Lloyd (September 26, 2024). "Being Dead become chaotic good on Eels". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 6, 2024.