_ CD Reviews

— Fels __
Beautif ul rest

 

 
    
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

   
 

How can you argue with aband whose ites netics, Life is white a am black /Jesus and
his lawyer are coming back?

I must admit, the only reason I requested this disc was the cover art. As you can see, the Holly McNarland
graphic designers stayed up a loooooong time to bring you the most intriguing and disturbing -
album sleeve artwork this side of Marilyn Manson’s latest outhouse metal release. And, Sour Pie
while there is definitely some of the expected post-Cobain gninge I expected, the sonic MCA
portion of Bels’ debut, Beautifid Freak, contains some pleasant surprises.

First of all, these guys have some musical talent. Unlike your average 90s band, Eels use If you only buy one album of local music this
keyboards to plant a piano, vibes, even a choir (!) into the mix. And, thankfully, the additions year, this should be the one. I know, I know...
aren’t unfounded: they fit where they’re put, and aren’t missed when they’re left out. you’ ve heard that too many times, for too many

Also a welcome relief is Eels’ cognizance of something called nuance. Perhaps in an bands. Hell, you heard that about Loverboy.
answer to Alanis* anthemic question “why are you so afraid of silence, Freak often cuts Holly MeNarland is different. You many hear
from loud grunge guitar to nothing, to loud, to quiet, and back again. In a great example, that she magically combines Sarah McLachlan-

esque intimacy with a Tori Amos-like sexual
candor. You may hear that her acousti-punk EP
Sour Pie is as sweet and tender as anything Simon
& Garfunkel ever did, or that her offstage
demeanor, complete with tattoos and middle
fingers, belie a quiet yet powerful vocal gift. And,
if you hear anything, you’ll hear that this
Canadian’s sarcastic but sadly frank ‘Mr. 5
Minutes’ makes Melissa Etheridge sound like a
Neanderthal. All of these remarks are true;
wonderfully so, to-be sure. But the most important
statement about Holly McNarland is that first one:
she is different.

And so, I

 

 

 

   

 

reiterate:

the disturbingly honest Susan s House, full of bleak urban snapshots and ed distorted narration, if you

is followed up by the pleasantly drumless Rags to Rags, buy only

The lyrics aren’t necessarily brilliant, but they’re interesting. In ‘Mental’. they say I'm Or Bos
mental but I’m just confused / they say I’m mental but I've been abused / they say I'm album...

mental ‘cos I'm not amused by it all. it’s not. Shakespeare; be
McCartney, but it’s by no means bad. es -
Ina lot of ways, Beautiful Freak sounds like an ecpecinental album. In others, itsounds _
fairly typical. Just when you think you know what to expect, there's a huge curveball high
and inside, And just when you're confused as hell, a radio-f endly track jumps atya.
Sometimes, that kind of quirk helps make a classic. I don’t k t teak i isa ae but
at the very least you can eve your ee are ’ :

   
  

t's not even Lennon/

                
   
    
     
   
  

review by Jason Kurylo

 

 

 

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The Other Press September 171996 13