Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 28
  2. Negative: 0 out of 28
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  1. Jun 4, 2013
    60
    Occasionally, this approach doesn’t match the heartfelt sentiment (see the lyrics to both You’re My Friend and A True Original) but, on the whole, this is the sound of a man reinvigorated, happy to be recording and with a dependable, more involved backing band than ever.
  2. Feb 25, 2013
    70
    It’s less confessional, less bleakly vulnerable than he has been on past albums.
  3. Feb 14, 2013
    60
    Intermittently enjoyable, Wonderful, Glorious is unmistakably the work of Eels but unlike previous and successful meditations, their tenth album frequently feels like well-honed schtick rather than a worthwhile insight.
  4. Feb 14, 2013
    76
    Luckily, there’s enough good on this album to hide the negatives.
  5. 80
    On Wonderful, Glorious, Mark Everett not only has the songs but also a band capable of delivering the sort of breadth and depth of response he needs to keep the Eels vehicle moving onwards and upwards.
  6. Q Magazine
    Feb 8, 2013
    60
    Contentment makes Everett a less compelling narrator than devastation, but Eels still tailor songs rich in ideas yet stripped of unnecessary fat. [Mar 2013, p.109]
  7. Feb 8, 2013
    70
    To an extent, this album is too predictable.
  8. 70
    They ditch most of the quirks for grimy blues on Wonderful, Glorious, making it one of their best albums in years.
  9. Feb 7, 2013
    50
    Wonderful, Glorious isn’t the sort of reinvention that Everett wants it to be. It’s just another loop around the road that E and his pathos have been treading for years.
  10. Mojo
    Feb 6, 2013
    80
    Listener as shrink? A bit, but you'll be happy to attend E's chaise longue. [Mar 2013, p.86]
  11. Feb 5, 2013
    60
    These are lifeless non-revelations married to engrossing tunes.
  12. Feb 5, 2013
    80
    The tenth Eels studio LP simply presents E's strengths as a songwriter and performer.
  13. Feb 5, 2013
    83
    Everett turns the corner on this relatively rosy, but no less ambitious, record that plays like a soundtrack of his post-trilogy life.
  14. Feb 5, 2013
    70
    This more open, organic process comes through on the songs, providing E and company with a refreshing amount of creative freedom after the relative confinement of doing a conceptual three-album trilogy.
  15. Feb 5, 2013
    70
    Wonderful, Glorious is a solid Eels record, with some of the best arrangements they have ever written.
  16. Feb 5, 2013
    70
    Eels’ albums, by and large, fall into two categories. The good and the great. Wonderful, Glorious sits comfortably and contentedly in the former.
  17. From the moment ‘Bombs Away’ hoves menacingly into view, it’s clear this is Eels at their most visceral.
  18. Uncut
    Feb 4, 2013
    80
    Wonderful, Glorious sounds, throughout, overwhelmingly like an Eels album.... This consistency has to be admired as testament to the robustness of E's vision. [Mar 2013, p.74]
  19. Feb 4, 2013
    60
    Not all of the tracks hit their mark, and this is a far cry from the standard of much of E's earlier material. But it is nonetheless a good record.
  20. Feb 4, 2013
    80
    Whether he has been re-invigorated by love, his new band or just from old-fashioned growing up, Mark Everett and Eels re-define themselves here with exhilarating success, putting all associations with misery out of mind with a compelling finality.
  21. Feb 4, 2013
    70
    Everett has fought his well-documented trails and tribulations tooth and nail, and this gritty but ultimately joyous album stands as testament to that.
  22. Wonderful Glorious alternates between distorted rock and freewheeling country-pop interludes.
  23. 60
    The high quality isn't sustained throughout, but this is another solidly impressive outing.
  24. 80
    Eels songwriter Mark "E" Everett has always trod a peculiar, idiosyncratic path that runs parallel to most pop music, but here he collides with it in such a tender, open way that the emotional hit of some songs is quite shocking.
  25. Jan 31, 2013
    85
    The result is a more diverse and often louder album than its predecessor, Tomorrow Morning. [Jan-Feb 2013, p.86]
  26. Jan 31, 2013
    80
    It continues the band's long-running, idiosyncratic and distinctively creative career path.
  27. Jan 31, 2013
    80
    One of the consistently brilliant musicians working today hasn't let us down yet.
  28. Jan 31, 2013
    80
    Everett executes his old tricks with electrifying verve, clashing tribal drums and the sludgy twang of B-movie guitar in Bombs Away, and hurling grit into the swamp of New Alphabet.
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Apr 15, 2013
    9
    Lots of crunchy guitars and witty lyrics. More upbeat than other Eels albums. Great album which gets better with each play. Peach BlossomLots of crunchy guitars and witty lyrics. More upbeat than other Eels albums. Great album which gets better with each play. Peach Blossom is a great song for springtime when the cold is gone and the colors of nature have returned. Wonderful, Glorious is a great sing-along track to end the album with. Full Review »
  2. BKM
    Feb 13, 2013
    9
    The latest effort from Mark Oliver Everett and his alt-rock collective lives up to its title. The focus this time is out is less on melodyThe latest effort from Mark Oliver Everett and his alt-rock collective lives up to its title. The focus this time is out is less on melody and more on musicianship, but the songs still pack a punch both lyrically and emotionally. Most impressive, however, is the depth of the music which rewards repeated listens. An early contender for album of the year accolades. Full Review »
  3. Feb 10, 2013
    9
    The album (and the lyrics) feels pretty straightforward, with a vibe of "in the moment" thing. But just when you think the music becameThe album (and the lyrics) feels pretty straightforward, with a vibe of "in the moment" thing. But just when you think the music became predictable, there´s a beautiful middle 8 or a great unusual sound, or a change on the dynamics that puts the whole thing in a very different perspective.
    The EELS, at the top of their game, deliver a wonderful glorious album indeed.
    Full Review »