Eels recently shared a new track “The Magic” from their upcoming album Extreme Witchcraft, which is set for release on Jan. 28 via PIAS and the band’s label E Works Records. While staying true to their punk rock roots, this song adds synth effects that draw upon ‘60s psychedelic rock. This Magical Mystery Tour sound is fitting for a song about “feeling the magic.”
The band has already shared other tracks from the album, including the similarly groovy “Steam Engine” and “Good Night on Earth.” The record was co-produced with PJ Harvey producer and guitarist John Parish, who worked with Eels on their 2001 album Souljacker.
“If you make music with John Parish, you get stuff no one else does,” Eels leader Mark Oliver Everett said in a press release. “He has a really unique toolbox and musical outlook. Perhaps his politeness is a coping mechanism to keep Mr. Hyde under control when he’s out of his laboratory.”
Eels also recently announced dates for their spring 2022 Lockdown Hurricane tour. The band will perform across both Europe and North America: the European leg kicks off on March 11 in Belfast and ends on April 13 in Madrid. The group will then start the North American portion in San Diego on May 8 and conclude the tour in Atlanta on May 28.