Hombre Lobo

Mark Oliver Everett takes his latest album title quite literally, unleashing predatory howls over distortion-ridden stompers like Fresh Blood, only to awake as an innocent mensch. The gentler E distances himself from his lycanthropic alter ego, searching for Ms. Right backed by a familiar arsenal of winsome melodies and elegant string arrangements. The album doesn't declare an outright winner in the -hopeless romantic versus beast- showdown, but of course is there ever really a winner?
Not a bad effort...

Wiki:

Eels (often typeset as eels or EELS) is an American rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E. Other members rotate frequently, both in the studio and on stage. Eels' live shows include new material, interpretations of older songs, and usually some well-known cover versions.

From Amazon:

E is back, sporting a ZZ Top beard and a new wolf-man persona. It's been 5 long years since his last proper album, a somber and inward-focused double-CD set entitled "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations." As is typical for Mr. E, quieter albums tend to be followed by noisier ones. However, no matter what ideas E is trying on for size, everything he records is stamped with his unique and compelling persona. This one is no exception.

Sometimes wearing a mask allows us the freedom to show a side of ourselves that we might otherwise be afraid to reveal. Here, E has assumed a persona of sorts, which differs from anything his audience has seen to date. He's a lusty, swaggering wolfman, carrying a cane and prowling the night. This assumed role seems to allow him to project a confidence unheard in much of his material, displayed most clearly on the opening track "Prizefighter" and the single "Fresh Blood." But what makes this album most compelling is when E drops the guise and reveals his true insecurities, as on "The Look You Give That Guy." That dichotomy makes this wolfman seem all the more human, for beneath the fuzz and fangs still lies a fundamentally reflective and at times insecure person.

The conceptual aspect of this disc is fun and meaningful, but never threatens to overwhelm the content. Song-for-song, this is one of E's best collections. Almost every one of these tracks could stand on its own as a single. The stripped-down sound that E has featured on some of his rawer albums (Souljacker, for example) is in full effect and really works in E's favor. Overall the man sounds energized, mature and confident, always with something interesting and often poignant to say.

E remains the consummate cult artist, and in many ways it's not surprising. His unflinching portraits of insecurity and emotion take some getting used to, especially in the current musical climate. Each project he records is something unique and interesting. This is one of his best to date.

2009 release, the seventh studio album from the ever-changing project led by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett (aka E). Hombre Lobo was recorded entirely at E's studio in Los Angeles with Koool G Murder (bass, keyboards and guitar) and Knuckles (drums and percussion).