7/10

Despite the majority of their commercial success arriving back in the 90s and early 00s, proficient indie-rock heroes Eels have managed to create a long-lasting legacy for their sound over the last two decades. While they have never been ones to breakaway from their formative direction, they have managed to create a broad and diverse enough style that has left plenty of room for adventurous exploration these last few years and continue almost just as they began. And now into their twenty-fifth year as a group, they return with their thirteenth studio album 'Earth To Dora', a quaint and upbeat journey into their safest guise.

The most interesting concept behind this new record is just how much they still sound like they did back in the 90s, which makes for a far more nostalgic release than we were expecting. While E's droll vocal performance remains the hallmark of this newer collection, the surrounding instrumentation harks back to those sweet and breezy origins that look to remind us why we fell in love with them in the first place. While things may not have changed for the group since they began, it is clear they haven't lost their creative spark for it, and instead create a full-length that mirrors their former selves in almost every way.

It is a strange experience to switch onto a new Eels album in 2020, and feel like nothing has changed for them, but that also happens to be the most refreshing thing about it. While many look to venture off into strange and unknown territory, Eels know exactly what they do and do it well, showing that after all this time they are still a band worth listening to.