To me, after a first listen to this album, it feels like a song made by a person who:

a. has been depressed, and possibly is, but has spent a lot of time thinking about that, trying to sort itself out and subsequently thought that yeah, life is worth something and you can change things and even the world (see E's explanation below)

b. is a masterful songwriter

Upon hearing the lines "I love that you are my best friend and my wife/I love our little family and our life" I felt an urge to write my wife instantly.

The album is not meant to be ironic, abject, nor cynical - at least not to me. Listening to it makes me think of David Foster Wallace, the author, who toward the end of his life wrote at his most simplified, and yet at his most magnificent, without the many linguistic twists, turns, and triple axels that he could easily have performed.

Then, there are songs like "Bone Dry", scathing and simple, because that's how life can be:

"Bone dry You drank all the blood My heart is bone dry Can't give you more 'cause you took all of it"

Below you'll find E's ((The frontman and is-all-end-all that is Eels.)) explanation of the new album, as culled from this page, but first a few sample songs from the album:

https://youtu.be/l6CNDk4yJnU

https://youtu.be/qx3sKPoeOis

https://youtu.be/-Ohw7xQ_9Cs

https://youtu.be/59Au8TUVakg

Hi, We could do the usual record company “bio” about this new record, but, seriously… who gives a fuck.

The world is a mess. This is just music. Music by someone who tends to believe that change starts in your own backyard. I’m just optimistic enough to believe that kind of thing can still help people.

It doesn’t have any answers, other than maybe that there is no answer, the dust never settles, everything is out of control, etc. But it offers this: you can make changes. Thus, you can change the world. Right?

Maybe if there’s anything we have any true control over, it’s how we see things. There’s a song about that here. The “our” of “In Our Cathedral” is the collective “our” — all of us. Your point of view. As the great Roger Miller once said, “You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you've a mind to.” He said it better than I did.

The other thing we can do while everything’s such a mess is just try to be kind. Why not? We all have bad days, but why not put in the effort whenever possible? Nobody has it easy, however their story may appear from a distance. So why not try to be nice? Starting with yourself. That’s a nice change for the world right there. Good things will grow out of that. There are some songs along those lines here as well.

I’ve been through some stuff, but I’m no expert. I’m trying to dead reckon my way same as anyone. I’m really just talking to myself here, looking for what’s really there under all the defenses. But maybe it could help you too?

Or: Fuck all this jibber jabber and see if you like this new record.

Here are 15 new EELS tracks that may or may not inspire, rock, or not rock you. The world is going nuts. But if you look for it, there is still great beauty to be found. Sometimes you don’t even have to look for it. Other times you have to try to make it yourself. And then there are times you have to tear something apart to find something beautiful inside.

Best wishes on future endeavors, E EELS guy