With his band Eels, the one-lettered pop wiz known as E expands on both his name and his dark, baroque vision. Eels are like your precocious teenaged brother, brimming with talent, discontent and alienation. Their musical aptitude is ingratiating enough to mitigate their gen-X sad-sack persona. The trio employs a variety of sonic strategies, including hip-hop beats, spoken narratives, orchestral touches and choral voices, to round out a tart, twisted version of guitar-based alternative rock. Not a band likely to be found on the sunny side of the street, Eels spin tale after tale of disaffection and existential ennui. Even a love song like the title track revolves around the concept that the object of the narrator's affection is desirable mostly because she's just as much a misfit as he is. "Guest List" presupposes God's disregard for the singer with an almost anticipatory glee. Eels' ace in the hole is their pop smarts, which are up to the task of contrasting their bleak outlook with immediately arresting melodies and arrangements. The gestalt of these two elements makes BEAUTIFUL FREAK an original and spellbinding recording.

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