The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett
by Eels
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 23
  3. Negative: 1 out of 23
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  1. AllMusic
    Apr 21, 2014
    70
    What saves this album from being just another version of some guy at the bar going on and on about some lady he lost is E's subtle and easy way with a melody, and even though some of these songs are so slow as to barely have a pulse, they flow well and easily into and out of each other.
  2. Uncut
    Apr 14, 2014
    80
    As frustratingly close to perfect as ever. [May 2014, p.73]
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  3. Mojo
    Apr 23, 2014
    80
    It's the chiming guitars of album centerpiece, A Swallow In The Sun, that really underlines a sense that The Cautionary Tales Of... operates in the same ballpark as Sea Change--Beck's 2002 work of staggering heartbreak. [May 2014, p.91]
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  5. Q Magazine
    Apr 23, 2014
    80
    As always with the finest of Eels albums, Everett's loss is the listener's gain. [May 2014, p.110]
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  6. New Musical Express (NME)
    Apr 21, 2014
    70
    Bereft of blues bombast, electronic trickery or bothersome concepts, when E's not coming on like Red House Painters he's getting seriously classical.
  7. musicOMH.com
    Apr 15, 2014
    70
    Though this is a flawed collection, The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett still partially succeeds in getting the message across perfectly in an accessible and honest manner.
  8. Drowned In Sound
    Apr 17, 2014
    80
    Eels may not tread any new ground musically (aside from being generally less noisy), but never before have we seen such raw emotion on show.
  9. Paste Magazine
    Apr 22, 2014
    89
    The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett understands the grace of understatement.
  10. DIY Magazine
    Apr 17, 2014
    80
    A gorgeous, luscious Eels record, sounding every bit as familiar as any of that suggests, the country-tinged guitars, the organs, piano, sprinkling of xylophone and those comfortingly gravelly vocals in which the world's in love.
  11. The Observer (UK)
    Apr 21, 2014
    80
    The subject matter may not be as harrowing as the real-life inspiration for some of his earlier work (most notably Electro-Shock Blues), but this is still a powerful and emotionally coherent set.
  12. Sputnikmusic
    Apr 22, 2014
    78
    In its simplicity lies a uniquely Eels beauty, realistic and wise. It may be unsure, yes, and there’s certainly some fresh horror around the bend, somewhere, but perhaps that future is more promising than what came before.
  13. Filter
    Apr 28, 2014
    74
    This is a record of painful, plaintive soul-searching.
  14. Blurt Magazine
    Apr 18, 2014
    80
    Rarely do mistakes of one’s youth sound so beautiful.
  15. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Apr 21, 2014
    80
    Everett’s earlier, fearless accounts of family tragedy have refined his ability to explore extreme states of emotional disrepair.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. cracka
    Jan 6, 2015
    5
    It seems to meander along without any punch. I listened to it and it seemed it was all just one song, a long depressing acoustic song withoutIt seems to meander along without any punch. I listened to it and it seemed it was all just one song, a long depressing acoustic song without variance. And I am a big fan of E's.
    E unfortunately missed the mark here.    … Full Review »
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