Broken Toy Shop: A Glimpse Into E's Musical Future
Jan 17 '04 (Updated Jan 19 '04)
Pros Some great songs...
Cons Some forgettable songs and out of print.
The Bottom Line While Broken Toy Shop isn't the best place to start with E, it is an above average album still worth checking out.
Full Review
It is a fact that Mark Everett’s early solo material is almost entirely forgotten. Best known by the moniker “E,” Everett is the outstandingly creative eccentric who also happens to be the singular force behind the Eels.
But years before the Eels made their debut with 1996’s Beautiful Freak (Dreamworks), Everett pursued a largely successful solo career. The slight, generally strange, and outstandingly intelligent Virginia native moved to California to explore his musical horizons in fifteen or so years ago. “E” as he was known (and continues to be recognized) was soon signed to PolyGram and in 1992 released a brilliant debut, A Man Called (E). Critically acclaimed, the album also scored a modest hit with Hello Cruel World.
Of course a follow-up was on the horizon. E, a prolific songwriter, released his second album in 1993. Broken Toy Shop features Everett dabbling in the darker waters he would later become famous for on Electro-Shock Blues. But with that said, the album doesn’t live up to expectations. It’s fine enough, but sometimes lacks the emotion and attachment that has made the vast majority of his other work so very special. There are certainly some bright spots—but it is overall a bit too boring for my tastes. Maybe that explains why Broken Toy Shop is the only album from E’s career that is currently out of print?
In any case, I do like many things about Broken Toy Shop. It’s definitely no A Man Called (E), Electro-Shock Blues, or Daisies of the Galaxy but there are glimpses of the exceptionally gifted artist. The music, a clean and rich alt-pop, is not for every listener. Though for fans of Everett, it is imperative to own this album. While I do like E when he’s even darker and more textured, this release is lovingly produced and as such is worth hearing. It’s jangly and chipper (with contrasting lyrics) and doesn’t beg to be taken particularly seriously. E seems to just be having fun. Fun is good; fun is what made Daisies of the Galaxy such a lovely album in 2000.
Broken Toy Shop proves delightful and rewarding when the songs are catchy and the lyrics are wry. E can write a great pop song—and he proves it on The Only Thing I Care About, Manchester Girl, L.A. River, A Most Unpleasant Man, and The Day I Wrote You Off. The other nine songs aren’t bad—they just lack variety and as such woefully blend into one another. Everett’s nontraditional vocal style is always great to listen to, but there’s only so much of the slow-to-mid-tempo “woe is me” song I can listen to before skipping.
These, mind you, are words coming from out the mouth and pen of a huge fan of Everett’s vast catalogue. The five songs mentioned above all have a little something in common. They are entertaining (of course) but they are also “different.” The Only Thing I Care About is a gentle, acoustic ditty. What makes it a standout is the chorus mixed with E’s wonderful lyrics. It’s a simple enough theme—E cares about one thing, a woman. His life is going to hell around him and he doesn’t care because the only thing he cared about got away.
Got a flat on the road
Don't care about my car
Lost 26 bucks
Don't care about my rent
Caught every episode on TV today
But the only thing I care about got away
Manchester Girl on the other hand pleases because it is stark and evocative. With little more than a piano and his own unique voice, E manages to put together an amazing song. It is here that his true talent shines. His words are never obvious or usual, but listeners will understand what he’s saying and appreciate his gift. E picks up the pace again with L.A. River. With just an acoustic guitar, bongos, tambourine, and then an organ and occasional bass guitar it is a sparse toe tapper. The simplicity of the song is surprising and refreshing. Everett was clearly a strange fellow right from the start.
The final two songs really worth mentioning are A Most Unpleasant Man and The Day I Wrote You Off. A Most Unpleasant Man in particular reminds me of later work from the singer-songwriter. The theme is once again simple. He started out a “most unpleasant man,” but became bearable when he met a love. His love went away and then once again he was a “most unpleasant man.” His candidness brings a simultaneous tear and smile to the face. The Day I Wrote You Off is a heart rendering story of a man who regrets writing off his family. He feels alone and misses just seeing them. I think most young adults can relate with this feeling. In any case, I can’t help but adore this song also.
Mark Oliver Everett is an amazingly, wonderfully talented man. Too few people know of his work and too few have heard music from him aside from the single Novocaine for the Soul. Broken Toy Shop may not be the best example of his music, but if you happen to stumble upon it in a used music store don’t hesitate to pick it up. Five of these songs are incredible, nine are decent and it provides a brief window into the man’s soul.
Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up)
Track Listing:
01. Shine It All On
02. Standing at the Gate
03. The Only Thing I Care About
04. Manchester Girl
05. LA River
06. A Most Unpleasant Man
07. Mass
08. Tomorrow I’ll Be Nine
09. The Day I Wrote You Off
10. Someone to Break the Spell
11. She Loves a Puppet
12. My Old Raincoat
13. Permanent Broken Heart
14. Eight Lives Left
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