Review: Eels' 'Daisies of the Galaxy'
by Jordan Hoffman

One thing I can not understand is the popular acceptance of The Eels, or just "Eels" as they're ponderously called, or should I say he's called, as Eels is the brain trust of one idiot who goes by the name of E. E was around a few years ago, doing some light techno, and I was baffled by his acceptance then, too. I'm a pretty easygoing guy, and I tend to be amenable to all forms of music. That said, I think I would rather dig out my ear drums with a grapefruit spoon than listen to Daisies of the Galaxy by Eels again.
"Daisies of the Galaxy" is a vapid, vacuous collection of three minute pop-songs that get on your nerves faster than a fat man gets on pizza. Eels has all the look-at-me-I'm-so-cute obnoxiousness of Robyn Hitchcock and John Wesley Harding, but none of the songwriting or vocal talent. The first song, "Grace Kelly Blues," opens with some tin-can British Music Hall sentiment, then quickly jumps into neo-country. It's about as country as The Dixie Chicks . . . thin, false Hammond B3 and some slapped on steel guitar. You can practically see the air-quotes when E sings "tractor trailer radios." It's a disgrace to country music. He then talks about the "kid in the mall." You see? You see what Beck did? I knew this would happen.
"Packing Blankets," the second track, is such a bouncy, happy song I half expected Elmo to join in any minute. There is ample use of glockenspiel. It's horrid.
Track three does it's best to be groovy neo-60s, with its surf rock drumming and limited singing ability. It wants so hard to be Beck (of "Tropicalia"), but sounds more like Smash Mouth.
"I Like Birds" is so insipid. It sounds like the songs Andy Kaufman sang to his sister.
That's the fourth song. Haven't made it to the fifth. Don't plan to. Peter Buck is involved with this nonsense. He of the great instrumental group Tuatara, and the newly flaccid pop group R.E.M. I'm willing to bet one hundred dollars my ex-girlfriend likes this album. I know it, just absolutely know it. Maybe that's why I hate it so much.