Eels Are Not Afraid of the Dark

Membership Ticker

You come to Mother Jones for unique journalism, and we love doing it for you—especially at a moment like this. That's really it. That's the upshot of our fall fundraising drive, and we're hoping to raise $250,000 in a much shorter than normal three-week window, by November 5, so we can keep right on doing it. Please pitch in early to help us get there.

$250,000

You come to Mother Jones for unique journalism, and we love doing it for you. That's it. That's the upshot of our fall fundraising drive, and we're hoping to raise $250,000 in a shorter than normal three-week window so we can keep right on doing it.

Album Review

Eels
The Deconstruction
E Works/PIAS

Mark Oliver Everett, who records as Eels, could be mistaken for a modern-day Job, recounting tales of extreme psychic distress in a weary rasp of a voice that suggests he’s perilously close to the breaking point. On his first studio outing in four years, Everett mixes up the grooves with his usual flair, ranging from delicate orchestral ballads to scruffy rockers to ensure the darkness never overwhelms. Riveting and ultimately uplifting, The Deconstruction juggles bleak vignettes and affirmations of hope, countering the primal angst of the title track with messages of reassurance on “Be Hurt” and “In Our Cathedral.” This engrossing album has the cathartic resonance of great blues music, and makes tough times a little easier to endure.