Souljacker
by Eels
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Alternative Press
    80
    Fresh, funny and unpredictable. [Apr 2002, p.72]
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  2. Q Magazine
    80
    Everyone will say this sounds like Beck, but at the last count Beck would be lucky to sound like Eels.
  3. Neumu.net
    80
    More than just a sick joke, Souljacker is a rocking, thought-provoking journey.
  5. Dot Music
    80
    Eclectic, electric and at times rather hectic, 'Souljacker' is without doubt the Eels finest release to date.
  6. Magnet
    80
    The whole album rocks. [#53, p.74]
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  7. PopMatters
    80
    Souljacker is as strong as any of Eels previous albums, but even crawling through the muck there is a lot more joy and life here than heard before.
  8. Playlouder
    80
    The mix of spite, beauty and pain in here is compelling and repulsive all at once.
  9. Launch.com
    80
    While Souljacker is not exactly a great leap forward for the band, it is a satisfying continuum from the superb Daisies Of The Galaxy.
  10. Rolling Stone
    70
    From the blues-based grit and spit of the opening track to the messy distortion throughout, Souljacker launches an all-out attack on familiar Eels themes -- insecurity, loneliness, despair -- but this time from a more universal standpoint.
  11. New Musical Express (NME)
    70
    'Souljacker''s songs rock harder than most of E's nu-metal enemies.
  12. The A.V. Club
    70
    The group's most spirited and rock-oriented record to date.
  13. E! Online
    67
    Taken as a whole, Souljacker comes off so bleak it overwhelms the album's strengths, like its memorably catchy melodies and sonically brilliant tracks.
  14. Blender
    60
    Strange stuff, but oddly appealing. [Feb/Mar 2002, p.111]
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  15. AllMusic
    60
    As with the band's previous albums, Souljacker bristles with pop euphoria and cracking production... but just like those previous albums, Souljacker ultimately falls a bit flat over the course of its extended running time.
  16. Pitchfork
    49
    A band that displays a fine grasp of orchestral pop and baroque studio flourishes on some tracks should be delivering something better than Souljacker.
  17. Austin Chronicle
    40
    The whole back half of Souljacker drops into a range between plain bad and plain vanilla with only the occasional standard deviation above musically amusing.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. PD
    May 3, 2002
    10
    Best pop album of 2001. Too bad the US had to wait 'till 2002 to hear it. E is a genius.
  2. MikeL.
    Mar 20, 2002
    9
    lovin it
  3. OliverI.
    Mar 14, 2002
    10
    Come ON, reviewers. Obviously the a: onslaught of teen pop and b: your rush to slobber and drool over such supposedly groundbreaking acts as Come ON, reviewers. Obviously the a: onslaught of teen pop and b: your rush to slobber and drool over such supposedly groundbreaking acts as Starsailor and Elbow has dulled your listening sensibilities. No other way about it, Souljacker is a masterpiece. Funkier numbers like Dog Faced Boy, Souljacker Pt 1 and Teenage Witch are great, but it is with the sublime World of Shit that the album truly rises above the stratosphere.… Full Review »
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