by Kris Handel
EELS is the second album from Being Dead, introducing the Austin, TX trio to a wider audience while still delivering garage oddities and glorious girl-group tinged harmonies. Falcon Bitch and Shmoofy continue to expound upon their imaginative songwriting while also touching on subjects of bodily discomfort/dissociation, belonging, and balancing creative endeavors with the pressure of the grinding work-a-day cultural environment. Along with bassist Nicole Roman-Johnston, the trio continue to define their unique musical universe and explore a world full of nightmarish fairy-tales amid an unyielding sense of wonder and enjoyment of life, embracing all that comes with it. EELS slightly reigns in the unstable abandon of debut When Horses Would Run, yet the freedom and energy rarely yields, a driving power the band expertly wields at all times on this record.
"Godzilla Rises" and "Van Goes" kick off the record in a back-to back rollicking fashion as Shmoofy’s shouted vocals are matched by Falcon's ringing harmonies, the band rapidly strumming in joyful fashion joined by hand clapping and "Ahhhhh"-ing vocals reminiscent of early Television Personalities. It’s a fine encapsulation of the charms of Being Dead as they coo tales of fantasizing about literal relationships with Japanese monsters in the most humanizing manner possible. “Van Goes” ramps up the fuzzy tripping atmosphere as Shmoofy's vocals take to soaring levels over snare rolls and snapping drums while pulsing bass bubbles over the call and response vocals. The band show off their hypnotizing connection and playfulness as distortion effects and rhythmic alterations pop in and out of the unique discordant rumble that is right in the band’s wheelhouse.
"Rock and Roll Hurts" hearkens back to early days of the titular genre as simple guitar lines are pierced with buzzing keyboards and playful moments of quiet and laughter erupt at various points. The band pares things back to a time of innocence and danceability while punctuating the rudimentary style with moments of chanted vocals from Falcon and infectious handclaps adding to the sense of fun. "Problems" is a drifting jangle with an unsettling underlying darkness as distorted guitar rumbles between deep bass and intermingling vocals that have a disarming charm and sprightliness belying the overall tone. Instrumental breaks that combine Byrds-ian psychedelia with mid-60s choral surf-pop vocals provide countless earworms as the band once again show their propensity for seamlessly meshing contrasting emotional resonances.
EELS is a wiggling and squirming record that travels down so many inventive songwriting and musical avenues. The band’s adventurous approach to garage psych is a refreshing breath of fresh air. The record is quite unpredictable which leads to a beautiful yet chaotic universe that allows for the listener to escape into the etherous environs and lose themselves in colorful inner worlds of the mind. Being Dead build upon their wild and free take on the universe, forever binding ties that hold life together and encourages their audience to approach their environment with openness and wide-eyed appreciation. The freedom and charm bursts out of the speakers on this jangling and fuzzy tour de-force from the self-described "tortured" musicians.