Eels
The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett
Reviewed by: Lara Supan
Eels have outdone themselves this time.
The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett is an intelligent, creative masterpiece with thirteen short and sweet tales that will leave you wanting more. The first track, “Where I’m At”, is an under two minute instrumental overture to the rest of the album that sets the stage for the orchestral complexity you are about to experience. Each song is uniquely threaded with the appropriate instrumentation, including all varieties of wind, brass, string and percussion instruments. The song subject matter is all threaded as well, including the songs “Where I’m From” and “Where I’m Going”, to bring a cohesiveness to the album that has been lost in this “single hit” society.
The two songs that stand out the most on Cautionary Tales are “Where I’m From” and “Where I’m Going”. “Where I’m From” has uplifting acoustic strumming for a beat and vibes to create a nice amount of space for the listener. It successfully sounds like a return to a familiar time or place, with the line “ran far away, but I have to admit sometimes I miss where I’m from.” “Where I’m Going” is a sweet, sentimental piece, leading with the line “Can’t say I know what will happen tomorrow, I can’t say I know if it’s joy or sorrow. I can’t say how long I’ll stand at the line I’m towing, but I’ve got a good feeling bout where I’m going.” It ends the album with an amazing sense of grounded hope and humbled joy that should have everyone taking a breath and living in the moment, at least until the song ends.
If you’re under 25 years old, listening to The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett should be a priority for you because albums just aren’t constructed this well anymore. For the over 25ers, this album will make you smile and have hope that the next generation just might learn the importance of an amazingly intricate, thoughtful and cohesive set of songs.
Rating: Iconic
