Having used ELECTRO-SHOCK BLUES as a dark musical therapy session in the wake of losing his mom and sister, Eels frontman E (aka Mark Oliver Everett) returned with a more optimistic follow-up, one steeped in gorgeous pop-craft. Utilizing a vocal style not unlike Beck’s creaky delivery, E created songs marked by unblinking, Randy Newman-like observations, minus the sardonic edge. E touches on a range of subjects–he pays tribute to his late mom’s love of winged creatures (the gently bouncy “I Like Birds”), sings of unrequited love (the heartbreaking “Jeannie’s Diary”) and bemoans the evils of advertising (the irresistible “Tiger in My Tank”). Like fellow pop savant Jon Brion, E calls upon a handful of modern-rock pals, including Peter Buck and Grant Lee Phillips, to season his idiosyncratic arrangements. Among the most engaging numbers are the Nilsson-inspired “It’s a Motherf#&!@r,” as well as the Vince Guaraldi-flavored “A Daisy Through Concrete” and “The Sound of Fear” The last of these is a classic straight out of the Phil Spector/Brian Wilson school of arranging. The hidden track, “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues,” is an optimistic number that nicely ties up this great collection, which finds E emerging from the dark so that the healing can begin.

1. Grace Kelly Blues
2. Packing Blankets
3. The Sound of Fear
4. I Like Birds
5. Daisies of the Galaxy
6. Flyswatter
7. It’s a Motherfucker
8. Estate Sale
9. Tiger in My Tank
10. A Daisy Through Concrete
11. Jeannie’s Diary
12. Wooden Nickels
13. Something Is Sacred
14. Selective Memory