Mark Everett cites John Lennon's intensely personal Plastic Ono Band as one of the chief inspirations behind Eels' 11th album. Indeed, recording songs called things like Mistakes of My Youth became so intense and personal for Everett that he abandoned them at one point, returning to them only after he had recorded last year's Wonderful, Glorious. Like Beck's Morning Phase, Everett deals with his heartache over an overtly pretty backdrop (bassoon, musical saw and celesta all feature) and things chime together on the instrumental Where I'm at, which he reprises as final track Where I'm Going, complete with Tom Waits impersonation. But the album's narrative – regret at having split up with someone you shouldn't have – feels like familiarly bleak ground. In fact, the Lennon reference serves to highlight the record's main flaw: the former Beatle's cathartic recording provided a jolting contrast with his previous work, whereas Everett – now in his 51st year – ventures nowhere new. His Cautionary Tales come after a career's worth of cautionary tales.