New EeL: “Peekaboo”

What separates the 2012 incarnations manic noisemakers Polysics and EeL? Both made vital albums of spazzy rock in the early 2000’s, unpredictable stuff that kept you focused on the noises bam-powing into your headphones. Both acts also pretty much do the same thing now as they did in 2004. Yet whereas, at some point, Polysics unchanging love of Devo’s discography changed from thrilling appreciation to “oh, Polysics put out another album…hmm yeah I’ll pass,” EeL’s jittery blend of electro-powered cuteness remains captivating today. “Peekaboo” features the hallmarks of EeL’s sound – drum ‘n’ bass percussion, no-concern-for-anything charge forward, steel drums at the end – but it captivates because every song EeL releases has the potential to spin off into a new dimension mid song (where Polysics have become, well, predictable). “Peekaboo” is catchy, sugar-laced pop full of fun little details – catch the cartoon “sproing” sound effect, for one, or the various little sonic twists and turns – that doesn’t take EeL towards any new sonic direction, but she doesn’t need to because her entire style is built around controlled chaos. Listen below.