Wonderful, Glorious

Recording

The songs were recorded in band leader Mark Oliver Everett's home studio in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, which was built for this album, after his previous home studio became too cramped for effectively recording. In an unusual choice for an Eels album, Everett decided to work on the songs by jamming with fellow Eels members and composing at home, only drawing upon sparse lyrics from his notebooks. He got the idea of collaborating with these musicians in particular after his last two tours and three albums featured a relatively stable line-up to the Eels musical collective.

Release

Wonderful, Glorious was released on February 4, 2013 by record labels Vagrant and E Works.

Reception

The Skinny's Stu Lewis gave the album four out of five stars praising the harder rock sound of the album calling it "work few contemporary indie rock bands could better" and Eric Magnuson's review in American Songwriter writes that the lyrics are demanding "like [Everett] has a knife to your throat, creating a wonderful paradox". Jude Clarke of BBC Music summarizes her review by saying the album "continues the band's long-running, idiosyncratic and distinctively creative career path." Maddy Costa of The Guardian also praised the album's hard rock sound, noting that the lyrics are "delivered in a growl so jittery and aggressive that gentleness is obliterated." About.com's review by Tim Grierson emphasizes the diversity in songwriting, stating that Wonderful, Glorious "offer[s] variations on familiar styles and delivering a few delightful curve balls in the process."

Several reviewers have noted the positive and uplifting themes of the lyrics, such as The Observer's Phil Mongredien and Jon Clark of Drowned in Sound whose review stated that "the negativity often present in Eels records is less noticeable here; in fact the record contains many optimistic, if particularly frank and defiant, testimonials." Michael Gallucci of The A.V. Club writes that the lyrics express E's relief after Eels' concept album trilogy. Writing for NME, Kevin E. G. Perry contrasts the optimism of the lyrics with E's personal tragedies, concluding that "part of the triumph of this record is just how upbeat he sounds while talking about everything from love and loss to mortality itself." Paste's Ryan Reed considers the positivity "awkwardly forced" leading to an album of "lifeless non-revelations married to engrossing tunes".

Track listing

All songs written by E, except where noted

1. "Bombs Away" (E, Koool G Murder, The Chet) – 5:23
2. "Kinda Fuzzy" (E, Koool G Murder, The Chet, P-Boo) – 3:38
3. "Accident Prone" (E, P-Boo) – 2:48
4. "Peach Blossom" (E, Koool G Murder, The Chet) – 4:05
5. "On the Ropes" (E, Koool G Murder, The Chet) – 3:10
6. "The Turnaround" (E, Koool G Murder, The Chet) – 4:49
7. "New Alphabet" (E, Koool G Murder, The Chet) – 4:08
8. "Stick Together" (E, Koool G Murder, The Chet, P-Boo, Knuckles) – 3:42
9. "True Original" – 3:48
10. "Open My Present" (E, P-Boo) – 3:09
11. "You're My Friend" (E, Kool G Murder) – 3:47
12. "I Am Building a Shrine" (E, P-Boo) – 3:35
13. "Wonderful, Glorious" (E, Knuckles, Koool G Murder, The Chet) – 3:43

14. "Hold On to Your Hat" – 0:46
15. "Your Mama Warned You" (E, P-Boo) – 3:09
16. "I'm Your Brave Little Soldier" – 2:51
17. "There's Something Strange" (E, The Chet, Koool G Murder) – 3:13
18. "Happy Hour (We're Gonna Rock)" (E, John Parish, Koool G Murder) – 3:50
19. "That's Not Really Funny" (Live 2011) (E, John Parish) – 4:55
20. "In My Dreams" (Live 2010) (E, Koool G Murder) – 3:07
21. "Prizefighter" (Live 2010) (E, Koool G Murder) – 3:01
22. "Looking Up" (Live 2011) – 5:06
23. "What I Have to Offer" (Live at KEXP) – 2:56
24. "I Like the Way This Is Going" (Live at KEXP) – 2:13
25. "Spectacular Girl" (Live at KEXP) – 3:32
26. "Summer in the City" (Live at KEXP) (John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian, Steve Boone) – 2:12

Personnel