I love Novocaine For The Soul for a number of reasons. First it serves as a fantastic hard reset in sound for Mark Oliver Everett after two albums as 'A Man Called E' and a disowned debut album under his own name. Second it's a fun one to spin on vinyl because it starts with a needle-drop sample from Fats Domino's 'Let The Four Winds Blow', which adds some crackly texture to the album which will be further fleshed out on future records. Third, this track is one of the few Eels tracks that people who aren't diehard fans know and love, so I've been able to use it as an entry-point to turn casual fans on to the deeper riches in their discography.

Amazingly this album turns 30 years old next month, with a BRAND NEW Eels album following in the fall.