Mark Oliver Everett, who under the pseudonym E is the founder and uncontested leader of Eels, is clearly a sensitive guy, but this usually manifests itself in expressions of neurosis or paranoia -- the man's relationship with the world around him is not always a happy one, and while he doesn't seem hostile, his lyrical persona doesn't suggest he'd be a great guest at your next party. 2024's Eels Time! upends those expectations right out of the gate with the song "Time," a contemplative number about the realization of how little life each of us is allotted, and how much we all wish there was more to be had. If it isn't quite optimistic, it's a quietly powerful testament to the rewards of being alive, and it's followed by "We Won't See Her Like Again," a sweetly sad homage to a lost friend who may have been too good for this world, and once again, it doesn't sound happy, but it speaks eloquently about love in many forms. Knowing that E wrote most of Eels Time! after undergoing surgery to correct an aortic aneurysm that could have killed him, one can read this album as the reflections of a man who experienced a brush with mortality. Of course, once we get to track three, "Goldy," in which the protagonist explains how his healthiest and most sustaining relationship is with his pet fish, we're reminded that E hasn't changed much. The bitter judgment against conformity of "Sleep with the Sheep" and the litany of human failings in "Song for You Know Who" confirm E's cynicism has hardly left him, yet overall, Eels Time! sounds thoughtful, heartfelt, and warmly human in a way that's not typical for Everett and his cohorts. E is also as consistently rewarding in his melodies as he is as a lyricist, and he gives his more unguarded moments a clarity and emotional weight that only magnifies his skill as a pop tunesmith. Is E happy? Who knows? Does he think life is worth all the trouble? In its own way, Eels Time! answers that with an idiosyncratic but unqualified "Yes," which makes it a welcome standout in Eels' body of work. ~ Mark Deming