Eels’ 2001 album Souljacker is a snarling, swaggering beast - part gutter-blues, part twisted lullaby. Produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey), it finds Mark Oliver Everett (E) trading the orchestral warmth of Daisies of the Galaxy for something sharper-edged, with jagged guitars, eerie loops, and lyrics that walk the line between menace and melancholy. From the unhinged stomp of Dog Faced Boy to the cinematic sweep of Fresh Feeling, Souljacker is restless and unpredictable, channeling Tom Waits’ grit and the underbelly of American storytelling. This is the grungiest and most fiery Eels album, according toe Mint and Sealed, and a mid-period best.
