Extreme Witchcraft

Last updated
Extreme Witchcraft
Eels - Extreme Witchcraft.png
Studio album by
Eels
ReleasedJanuary 28, 2022 (2022-01-28)
RecordedMarch – October 2021
Length38:36
Label
Producer
Eels chronology
Earth to Dora
(2020)		Extreme Witchcraft
(2022)		 Eels So Good: Essential Eels, Vol. 2 (2007–2020)
(2023)
Singles from Extreme Witchcraft
  1. "Good Night on Earth"
    Released: September 21, 2021 [1]
  2. "Steam Engine"
    Released: October 27, 2021 [2]
  3. "The Magic"
    Released: November 23, 2021 [3]
  4. "Amateur Hour"
    Released: January 5, 2022 [4]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Extreme Witchcraft is the fourteenth studio album by American indie rock band Eels, released through E Works/PIAS Recordings on January 28, 2022. [6] It was preceded by the singles "Good Night on Earth", "Steam Engine", "The Magic", and "Amateur Hour". The album was supported by the 2023 Lockdown Hurricane world tour. [7] [8]

Contents

Background

After a 1998 performance of "Last Stop: This Town" on the British music chart program Top of the Pops , Eels frontman Mark Oliver "E" Everett and PJ Harvey's John Parish met backstage. They discussed the possibility of a collaboration, leading to the two coming up with the 2001 album Souljacker , along with subsequent live performances, the latest being in 2019. [9]

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in early 2021, Everett received a message from Mark Romanek, the director of the "Novocaine for the Soul" music video. Romanek revealed to Everett that he had been in an "intense" Souljacker phase, giving Everett an idea of contacting Parish to see if he would be up for some musical ideas. [9]

Recording

During the beginning of the project, due to differing time zones, Everett worked at 4 am in his Los Feliz home, while Parish worked in his HonorSound studio in Bristol. Everett would occasionally email tracks to his bandmate Koool G Murder, asking for his input and if he wanted to contribute. [9] Parish then flew to Los Angeles, working on most of the album in Everett's studio with Koool G Murder. Everett mentions that the album was constructed "very organically and quickly" and was finished in a matter of weeks. [10]

Title

The title originates from a 2018 filing of a restraining order against Beyoncé by her former drummer Kimberly Thompson, who accused Beyoncé of casting "magic spells of sexual molestation", murdering her kitten, and practicing "extreme witchcraft, dark magic". [11] Everett was amused by the story and joked about naming his next album "Extreme Witchcraft". [10]

It was a potential title for the Earth to Dora album, but because of the differing dynamics of the title and the songs themselves, the name was scrapped. The title would come into play again while working with Parish, giving him buzz words like “give me some voodoo” or “give me something witchy”. [10]

Critical reception

Extreme Witchcraft received generally positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [12]

Joe Goggins of DIY awarded the album four out of five stars and wrote that it is "as freewheeling as Eels have sounded since Souljacker ". Goggins elaborated that the album "casts E as the kind of louche rock frontman he's increasingly presented himself as on stage in recent years", concluding that it "is a record scored through, unmistakably, with a desire to have some fun". [5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by E except where noted

Extreme Witchcraft track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Amateur Hour"Mark Oliver Everett / John Parish2:33
2."Good Night on Earth"Everett / Parish3:18
3."Strawberries & Popcorn"Everett / Parish3:43
4."Steam Engine"Everett / Kelly Logsdon3:14
5."Grandfather Clock Strikes Twelve" 3:23
6."Stumbling Bee"Everett / Parish3:38
7."The Magic"Everett / Parish3:12
8."Better Living Through Desperation"Everett / Parish2:32
9."So Anyway"Everett / Parish3:22
10."What It Isn't"Everett / Logsdon3:49
11."Learning While I Lose"Everett / Mike Sawitzke2:45
12."I Know You're Right"Everett / Logsdon3:07
Total length:38:36

Personnel

Eels

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Extreme Witchcraft
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [13] 14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [14] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [15] 16
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [16] 14
French Albums (SNEP) [17] 49
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [18] 7
Scottish Albums (OCC) [19] 12
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [20] 77
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] 7
UK Albums (OCC) [22] 37
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [23] 5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eels (band)</span> American indie rock band

Eels is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1991 by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett, known by the stage name E. Band members have changed over the years, both in the studio and on stage, making Everett the only official member for most of the band's work. Eels' music is often filled with themes of family, death, and unrequited love. Since 1996, Eels has released fourteen studio albums, seven of which charted in the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Oliver Everett</span> American rock musician

Mark Oliver Everett is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and the frontman of the rock band Eels. Also known as E, he is known for writing songs tackling subjects such as death, loneliness, divorce, childhood innocence, depression, and unrequited love, often from personal experience.

<i>Shootenanny!</i> 2003 studio album by Eels

Shootenanny! is the fifth studio album by American rock band Eels, released in 2003 by record label DreamWorks.

<i>Blinking Lights and Other Revelations</i> 2005 studio album by Eels

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations is the sixth studio album by American band Eels. It was recorded over the space of 1998 to 2004 and released on April 26, 2005 through record label Vagrant, his first album on a new label following Eels' departure from DreamWorks Records.

<i>Souljacker</i> 2001 studio album by Eels

Souljacker is the fourth studio album by American rock band Eels, first released on September 19, 2001, in Japan and later on March 12, 2002, in the United States.

<i>Electro-Shock Blues</i> 1998 studio album by Eels

Electro-Shock Blues is the second studio album by American rock band Eels. It was released in the United Kingdom on September 21, 1998, and October 20 in the United States by record label DreamWorks.

<i>Meet the Eels: Essential Eels, Vol. 1 (1996–2006)</i> 2008 greatest hits album by Eels

Meet the Eels: Essential Eels, Vol. 1 (1996–2006) is a greatest hits compilation to celebrate the tenth anniversary of rock band Eels, featuring a DVD of music videos, behind-the-scenes photos, and commentary by Mark Oliver Everett. It was released on January 15, 2008 in the United States and January 21, 2008 in the United Kingdom, where it debuted on the UK Album Chart at #26.

<i>Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996–2006</i> 2008 compilation album by Eels

Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996–2006 is a rarities compilation to celebrate the tenth anniversary of rock band Eels, featuring a live performance DVD from Lollapalooza 2006, behind-the-scenes photos, and commentary by lead singer Mark Oliver Everett. It was released on January 15, 2008 in the United States and on January 21, 2008 in the United Kingdom, where it debuted on the UK Album Chart at #69.

<i>I Am... Sasha Fierce</i> 2008 studio album by Beyoncé

I Am... Sasha Fierce is the third studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on November 12, 2008, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment.

<i>Beautiful Freak</i> 1996 studio album by Eels

Beautiful Freak is the debut album by American rock band Eels. It was released on 13 August 1996 and is the first album released by record label DreamWorks.

<i>Hombre Lobo</i> 2009 studio album by Eels

Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire is the seventh studio album by American rock band Eels, released on June 2, 2009. Hombre Lobo is Spanish for "werewolf". On March 31, 2009, the band made the track "Fresh Blood" available on Spinner.com, explaining that the song would be the lead single for the album. A documentary entitled Tremendous Dynamite was filmed to document the recording of the album. The cover art is a tribute to the famous Cuban cigar brand Cohiba.

<i>End Times</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Eels

End Times is the eighth studio album by American rock band Eels released on January 19, 2010. End Times is the second in a trilogy of concept albums starting with 2009's Hombre Lobo and finishing with Tomorrow Morning, released later in 2010.

<i>Tomorrow Morning</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Eels

Tomorrow Morning is the ninth studio album by Eels; the third in a trilogy of concept albums including Hombre Lobo (2009) and End Times (2010).

<i>Wonderful, Glorious</i> 2013 studio album by Eels

Wonderful, Glorious is the tenth studio album by American alternative rock band Eels, released in 2013 by record labels Vagrant and E Works. The album was produced by band leader Mark Oliver Everett. A worldwide tour accompanied the album release.

<i>The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett</i> 2014 studio album by Eels

The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett is the eleventh studio album by American indie rock band Eels, released on April 21, 2014 by record label E Works. The album was produced by frontman Mark Oliver Everett.

<i>Live at Royal Albert Hall</i> (Eels album) 2015 live album by Eels

Eels: Royal Albert Hall is a live album by Eels, released as a 2-Disc CD, 3-Disc clear purple vinyl and a DVD on April 14, 2015. The recording is from London's Royal Albert Hall, June 30, 2014. It is the third Eels live DVD.

<i>The Deconstruction</i> 2018 studio album by Eels

The Deconstruction is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Eels, released on April 6, 2018. The band's twelfth studio release follows a four-year period where front man Mark Oliver "E" Everett took a hiatus from music. The album has garnered favorable reviews.

<i>Earth to Dora</i> 2020 studio album by Eels

Earth to Dora is the thirteenth studio album by American indie rock band Eels, released on E Works/PIAS Recordings on October 30, 2020. It has received favorable reviews from critics.

<i>I Dont Live Here Anymore</i> 2021 studio album by the War on Drugs

I Don't Live Here Anymore is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band The War on Drugs. It was released on October 29, 2021, through Atlantic Records. The album received widespread acclaim, with one of its singles, "Harmonia's Dream," receiving a nomination for Best Rock Song at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>The Complete DreamWorks Albums</i> 2015 box set by Eels

The Complete DreamWorks Albums is a 2015 box set of seven albums from American indie rock band Eels, released in the 1990s and 2000s: Beautiful Freak (1996), Electro-Shock Blues (1998), Daisies of the Galaxy (2000), Souljacker (2001), Electro-Shock Blues Show, and Shootenanny! (2003). The collection has received positive reviews by critics.

References

  1. ↑ Whitaker, Marisa (September 21, 2021). "Eels Return With Extreme Witchcraft, Listen To 'Good Night On Earth'". Spin . Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  2. ↑ Rettig, James (October 27, 2021). "Eels Share New Song "Steam Engine": Listen". Stereogum . Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  3. ↑ Whitaker, Marisa (November 23, 2021). "Listen to Eels' Garage-Rock Fueled 'The Magic'". Spin . Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  4. ↑ Rettig, James (January 5, 2022). "Eels – "Amateur Hour"". Stereogum . Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Goggins, Joe (January 26, 2022). "Eels – Extreme Witchcraft Album Review". DIY . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ Fu, Eddie (September 21, 2021). "Eels Announce New Album Extreme Witchcraft, Share "Good Night on Earth": Stream". Consequence . Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  7. ↑ Jones, Damian (September 21, 2021). "Eels announce new album 'Extreme Witchcraft' and share single 'Good Night On Earth'". NME . Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  8. ↑ Moore, Sam (February 18, 2022). "Eels postpone their UK, European and US tour to 2023". NME . Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 "From Bristol to L.A.: the Making of EELS' 'Extreme Witchcraft'". PIAS Group . January 28, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 DiGiacomo, Frank (January 28, 2022). "Interview: Eels Frontman E Discusses New Album 'Extreme Witchcraft'". Billboard . Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Beyoncé's Former Drummer Claims Singer Molested Her with 'Dark Magic,' 'Extreme Witchcraft'". TheBlast.com. The Blast. October 11, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Critic Reviews for Extreme Witchcraft by Eels". Metacritic . Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Eels – Extreme Witchcraft" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Eels – Extreme Witchcraft" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Eels – Extreme Witchcraft" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eels – Extreme Witchcraft" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Top Albums (Week 5, 2022)". SNEP . Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eels – Extreme Witchcraft" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". Promusicae . Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Eels – Extreme Witchcraft". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.