Mr E, the enigmatically-named frontman of American art-rockers Eels, has a reputation for being one of the most miserable characters in pop. Perhaps he's getting a bit sick of that reputation, since his debut solo album sounds like nothing so much as a concerted effort to assure us that he has a sense of humour after all. Recorded under the alter ego of MC Honky (described as "a shy native Los Angeleno in his mid-50s"), it's a curious mixture of musical sketches and playful sound effects, the sort of thing that will strike some listeners as absolutely hilarious and will leave others completely cold. Every track is filled with aural in-jokes, from goofy voices to the conjunction of drum loops with an operatic tenor. It's superficial stuff, but Eels fans needn't worry too much - a new album from the group is due out in the summer. And now that E has got this uncharacteristic frivolity out of his system, chances are it'll be back to misery as usual.

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