The American group, or rather its leader and almost unique member, Mark Oliver Everett, returns with a 14th studio album, “Extreme Witchcraft”, in which electric guitars regain their noble place.
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Eels finally has a group only in name, since since its debut in 1996 with the album Beautiful Freak and the tube Novocaine for the soul, its creator Mark Oliver Everett has always remained the only master on board, the musicians accompanying him waltzing according to the outings.
This new album is presented in the press as a “return to rock” for Eels, which Everett does not dispute: “Yes I can understand that, especially after the last album which was very ‘songwriter’, more pop and folk, and not very rock, so I think that’s fair.”
Twelve tracks, 39 minutes, co-produced by John Parish, the guitarist of PJ Harvey with whom he had already worked on Souljacker in 2001, a rather short album, collected, effective, but also rather joyful, which was never the strong point of its leader, who lost many relatives over the course of his existence.
“Maybe it’s an unconscious reaction to the last two years we’ve been through, we’re all desperately looking for fun and entertainment.”
Mark Oliver Everett, Eelsat franceinfo
Like all artists, Mark Oliver Everett has suffered the pandemic and its share of confinements and closed concert halls, but he is looking forward to returning to France soon: “Paris is clearly one of our favorite places to play, maybe even number 1. We can’t wait to go back there, in front of a really passionate audience. It’s always fun to play in Paris.”
Eels in concert on March 28 Salle Pleyel, in Paris