Souljacker

The Eels’ half-decade swim through alterna-pop has spawned a spotty batch of gleeful and glum ditties about freaks, geeks, death, and the occasional daisy. Now the Eels seem to be going all ZZ Top on us—check frontman E’s new wooly beard—but this album has no legs. The sea of vocal, keyboard, and guitar effects render sharp-dressed rockers like “Dog Faced Boy” and “Souljacker Part I” soulless, while tossed-off ballads like “World of Shit” are about as much fun as their titles. They may be eels, but they ain’t the least bit electric.