Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs Of Desire
by Eels
  • Record Label: Vagrant
  • Release Date: Jun 2, 2009
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Mojo
    80
    Lean and timeless sounding, it's also as truthful as Everett's sobering autobiography, Things The Grandchildren Should Know. [Jun 2009, p.104]
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  2. Spin
    60
    The gentler E distances himself from his lycanthropic alter ego, searching for Ms. Right backed by a familiar arsenal of winsome melodies and elegant string arrangements.
  3. The Guardian
    80
    The garage rock is fun, but the mesmeric admissions of loneliness and failings make this one to return to.
  5. Uncut
    80
    It’s E’s lyrics that are the true, bitter joy of this record, sacrificing nothing of their wit in pursuit of heartbreaking, heartbroken directness.
  6. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    There’s nothing on Hombre Lobo (Spanish for werewolf) that couldn’t be constructed by breaking down the DNA of the previous six Eels albums and repiling the strands up in some melodically fresh but warmly recognisable way.
  7. PopMatters
    70
    The album somewhat loses its steam halfway through, only because the flow starts to feel too predictable.
  8. Rolling Stone
    70
    Everett's songwriting hasn't always kept pace with his musical and literary ambitions. But these tales of frustrated desire are vividly sketched, with the Eels delivering muddy roadhouse rockers.
  9. AllMusic
    80
    This is a beautifully crafted, stripped-down recording, showcasing once more that E uses searing honesty and a canny sense of pop, rock, blues, and everything else to chronicle his own strange path through life and its labyrinth.
  10. Boston Globe
    70
    It's hard not to wish that there were more remnants of his earlier studio-nerd genius; there's the twist-beat and buzz-bass of 'Lilac Breeze' and the plod of 'Tremendous Dynamite,' but there's no build to them.
  11. Los Angeles Times
    50
    Hombre Lobo is much more effective when Everett keeps things one-dimensional, as in 'Tremendous Dynamite,' a deliciously fuzzy blues-punk rave-up in which he describes being "on the prowl for a restless night," and 'Beginner's Luck,' a jubilant ode to the boundlessness of new love.
  12. The A.V. Club
    58
    Hombre works best when it fully embraces its titular beast: 'Fresh Blood' finds excitement in a brooding groove, and rattles when Everett literally howls. Unfortunately, those are exceptions: The rest of the album just isn’t cohesive enough to entice much repeated listening.
  13. Dot Music
    80
    What truly counts here is persona and with E casting himself as dog in heat, eager to reach a scratch that he just can't itch, the end result is yet another facet to a continually engaging and truly unique artist.
  14. Slant Magazine
    40
    Though doubtful it was crafted for such a purpose, Eels's latest is simply not much beyond a forgettable earful for a lazy Sunday listen.
  15. Drowned In Sound
    70
    This emotional rollercoaster of an album has a few cleverly disguised cliches similar to 'emotional rollercoaster' embedded in the music and lyrics.
  16. No Ripcord
    80
    The theme is relatable, and relevant because it encompasses more than that one side of desire we all expect to hear about. This exploration and focus is what held together Eels’ 1998 masterwork, "Electro-Shock Blues." It does the same here.
  17. Pitchfork
    46
    It would be too easy to dog Hombre Lobo as a case where going back to the well leads to diminishing returns, but the problem is just that Hombre Lobo is too easy.
  18. The New York Times
    70
    The sound is deliberately barren. The guitars never quite fill the space, and the drumming (credited to Knuckles) often has the mechanized indifference of drum-machine tracks.
  19. Delusions of Adequacy
    70
    Each track contains elements that sound similar in combinations of tone, texture and melody from previous records, so this album is not necessarily a knockout. However, the band’s artistic hybrid is delivered with a fervent honesty and steeped in an emotional intensity that may make it sound a lot like other Eels material.
  20. cokemachineglow
    55
    There’s something oddly sweet about how completely out of step Eels are with trends and genres, something nourishing about how secluded their music has become. Shame, then, that it must necessarily also be so exclusive.
  21. Under The Radar
    70
    This record is still pure E--invigorating in its obsession, desperation, vulnerability, and brilliance. [Summer 2009, p.65]
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  22. Prefix Magazine
    80
    Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire is another record that hones and refines what it means to be Eels. Mark Oliver Everett continues his daring and heart-baring, and we continue to be the better for it.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Rikardsen
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    Wow, this is E at his best, every track sounds fresh and shows eels diversity, powerful stuff.
  2. Ricko
    Dec 12, 2011
    8
    A peach of a record from start to finish and probably my favourite Eels album. It's one of Mr E's most focused and sharp collection of songsA peach of a record from start to finish and probably my favourite Eels album. It's one of Mr E's most focused and sharp collection of songs and has everything you'd want from an Eels record. Lovely lyrics, tuneful melodies and should have gotten more praise really than it did.… Full Review »
  3. DavisW.
    Jul 20, 2009
    7
    A bit of a disappointment, but a strong and solid record nonetheless. E is still the man.
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