Broken Toy Shop - E > Reviews > Broken Toy Shop

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Great lyrics  -  depressingly upbeat
Disadvantages:	A little cheesy in parts

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This album is Broken Toy Shop by E.

Background:

E is the singer in the band Eels. This album preceded his work with Eels.

I was first introduced to Eels about 6 or 7 years ago. I needed a CD to listen to as I was getting bored of some of the albums that I had in my collection. I really only started getting interested in music about 8 years ago or so, and had heard an Eels song before, so I asked to borrow this from my friend. This proved to be one of the best ideas I’d ever had!! I’ve said in other reviews how much I love the artists I’m talking about but Eels were one of my favourite bands and still are!!

Once I had collected a few of their albums, I was looking online and happened to see that the lead singer –E- had done some solo work, I thought it was definitely worth looking into. E has brought out 2 solo albums, debuting with his album ‘A Man Called E’ and was followed by ‘Broken Toy Shop’.

Production of the CD was handled by both E and Michael Koppleman and E does most of the music himself; with a little help from a bass player or a drummer to fill in some gaps. His heartfelt lyrics and distinct melodies really set E above the standard for music.

Price:

I bought this album online from eBay, I got quite a good deal, as I was the only one bidding on it, I think this is because E (Mark Oliver Everett) is not well known enough as a solo artist, and his solo work never really seemed to catch on as well as with Eels. You can buy it from Amazon.co.uk for £18.99 (or import it for around $24 from Amazon.com), so it’s not all that cheap; however it can’t be found in the majority of shops that I’ve looked in, and it’s not available on Play.com (looking just now, I can’t even find it on iTunes). I don’t think this album had the publicity that it deserved, even since the popularity of Eels took off, and I think that it should have had more fanfare when released.

Tracks:

I have written about some of the songs that stand out most for me rather than going into each song itself and repeating myself; hopefully this will be enough to allow a prospective buyer to find out enough information in order to decide whether they would like it or not

1. Shine It All On (4.04)
This is the first song on the album, and probably my favourite. After looking at other reviews that have been written and speaking to other fans, this does not seem to stand out as one of the best; however the way it starts grabs my attention right at the start. The chorus is really heartfelt and really makes me want to sing along. I remember repeating this song quite a few times once I had bought it!! It is such a simple song, and yet has so many twists in it!!

4. Manchester Girl (3.22)
This song is not very upbeat at all, although it really appeals to me; the lyrics are so depressing to listen to, and yet in a story-like fashion, I love to listen to them and feel the anguish in E’s voice which he carries off so well in so many of his song, both solo and with Eels.

5. L.A. River (2.28)
I think that this is most cheery song on the album. It’s one of those songs that I’m not sure if I really like it, but I find myself tapping along to each beat of it (then begin whistling and clicking my fingers as the song progresses!!!)

6. A Most Unpleasant Man (3.21)
I have to agree with the majority of fans out there that this is a great song. It is another song which is thoroughly depressing and yet is upbeat at the same time. Right from the start, you will want to hear more and be quite captivated. The lyrics make you want to hear more – Why is he a most unpleasant man?

14. Eight lives left (3.09)
This is the last song on the album, sending it off in great style. I think that this song is really chilled out and the lyrics complement the melody really well. If you are looking to go out with a bang, this is not the album for it, the final song on the CD really shows that can be seen within all the other songs, a real melancholy feeling and torment in all his lyrics.

With many of the songs on this album, you can take the song as a melody, which sometimes will be happy (like L.A River or My Old Raincoat), or more sad (like Eight Lives Left, Permanent Broken Heart or She Loves a Puppet), or you can listen to the words, which usually convey angst and a deep sadness within E himself. I think that his voice is really suited to this kind of distress and anguish that he brings to his songs; even the happier ones, and it makes E so unique, which is what I love.

Overall:

When you listen to this album, you’ll agree that E doesn’t sound like he is a one-man-band, but sounds like a real band. This is something which impresses me and allows you to see that he is multi-talented, something which I really appreciate to hear. His music sounds sophisticated and really well timed, with great lyrics and a tunefulness that makes you feel cheery and depressed at the same time. His upbeatness that can be found in his songs takes over the depressing lyrics, and makes all his songs have a funny sense of appeal that can fascinate most people who appreciate and enjoy listening to music

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed this album, although not as much as I thought that I would. The songs are really catchy and are fun to listen to, both lyrically and because of the melody. However, I think that it is a bit cheesier than his first solo album and didn’t really live up to some of his other work. I would still recommend Broken Toy Shop as it is really interesting to see where artists come from and how they have progressed. I think that fans would appreciate this and would like to hear other things that The Man himself can do…