End Times专辑介绍
End Times自然以‘The Beginning’开始,是首精彩的关于爱情、失去以及心伤的赞歌,并为整张专辑定下基调。这首恢复本真的小曲也提醒我们,正是Eels的淳朴让其如此出色。在Eels第八张专辑里,他们依然在痛苦中寻得艺术,在灾难与愤恨中寻得流行,在揪心的苦涩中寻得美好。
End Times可被看作是一系列发生在Mark ‘E’ Everett身上的悲剧的注脚——妹妹自杀、母亲之死、与量子物理学家父亲的紧张关系、表弟在九一一事件中的丧生——End Timess是E的“别离”专辑。不过,尽管在以往最焦虑的时刻仍不失希望(例如Electro-Shock Blues中的‘PS You Rock my World’),在这张End Times中却没有什么能抑制其灾难及自毁的感觉。
像其他专辑一样,听众被推动着窥探歌者的愁苦:听每一首歌都好像是在读一本日记,在久婚之后被遗弃的床边凋谢,又被不断翻开乃至破烂不堪。不过,编成这些歌谣的技艺之精湛,让这些直率又辛酸的回忆避免陷入消极的自我沉湎,而是自我接受,展现歌者的智慧。像‘In my Younger Days’这首歌唱到,“我不需要更多的苦痛教我应做怎样的人,我只想让你回到我身边。”
尽管是低保真录音和不加修饰的原声吉他,Eels仍有办法脱离其情绪化的本源,创作出新鲜而令人着迷的流行乐。在专辑同名曲中,以及‘Little Bird’和更加快拍的‘Paradise Blues’中,Everett并没有自说自话,取而代之的是富有戏剧性的场景与人物塑造。
End Times之美在于它出人意料的多变:‘Apple Trees’中的对话,以及‘High and Lonesome’中对倾盆大雨及敲钟声的感情倾注。正是这些手法以及E的飘渺嗓音,让这张专辑没有成为一张简单、消沉的反浪漫作品。‘Little Bird’中让人心碎的坦白“该死的,我真想她”,也是对整张专辑的情感收尾。也许人们就是在Eels忧郁的简单中看到他们最绝望的一面。不过,结束曲‘On my Feet’给出了一点希望的微光,“我就要恢复正常。”为了你,也为了我们,E,尽快吧。(Melancoly)
End Times is the eighth studio album by American rock band Eels released on January 19, 2010. The album was self-produced by E and focuses on themes of divorce and aging. The cover was designed by Adrian Tomine. The album was also released in a deluxe edition with a bonus EP. End Times is the second in a trilogy of concept albums starting with 2009's Hombre Lobo and finishing with Tomorrow Morning, released later in 2010. The music video for "Little Bird" was released on YouTube through the official Eels channel in November 2009 and "In My Younger Days" in December 2009. The single for "A Line in the Dirt" backed with "Little Bird" was released through Eels' online store on January 13, 2010.
End Times专辑歌曲
- disc 2