Daisies of the Galaxy Lyrics

The sombre themes that had peppered Eels’ previous albums recur in 2000’s Daisies of the Galaxy, but these songs were distinctly sunnier than their predecessors. The emotional torment that had built up around Mark Oliver Everett on Electro-Shock Blues was almost completely absent from the record. Even when he was wistful, as on the sparse “It’s A Motherfucker”, the sentiment was gentle and melancholy, rather than bitter and frustrated.

A restrained, tasteful string arrangement and simple piano chords often adorn the songs, particularly on the beautiful ‘Selective Memory’. It’s a testament to Eels’ gift for pop music that the album remains bright and summery despite these dark undertones. The best tracks (including the twangy, toybox centred ‘Flyswatter’ and the regal Grace Kelly Blues) are almost deceptively upbeat.

There are a few sombre songs scattered throughout that highlight the darker side of the record, however, such as the heartbreaking “Packing Blankets” and the closing track, the sombre ‘Mr E’s Beautiful Blues’ which wasn’t originally meant to be included on the album at all. A fine, simple record that could be the go-to summer album for nihilists.

A year later Eels released Souljacker, which had a much heavier feel. While it is not as immediately accessible as Daisies of the Galaxy, this was still a solid album and the band were at their most cohesive on this release. Their next record would see them take a more experimental approach, resulting in the less accessible and more difficult to categorise album ‘Mr X’.