Album Review: Magnetic Fields’ Distortion
I finally got a chance to listen to the much awaited (by me, anyway) new album by the Magnetic Fields, one of songwriter (and local New Yorker) genius Stephin Merritt’s many incarnations. Although I’m not such a fan of the album art, the music is wonderful. True to its title, Distortion revels in feedback and fuzzy sounds. Reportedly, Merritt cited Jesus and Mary Chain’s Psychocandy as inspiration, hence the “distortion.” But don’t worry, the lyrics here are trademark Merritt, not William and Jim Reid. Tongue-in-cheek and clever as hell (as usual), with lines like “Sober, life is a prison/ Shit-faced, it is a blessing” from “Too Drunk to Dream.” Shirley Simms returns to assist with vocals on songs like “California Girls,” bringing to mind the classic 69 Love Songs, which utilized her vocals as well. Distortion certainly hearkens back to 69 Love Songs much more than their last release, I, which I for one am happy about. But because of the feedback, the sound is more muddled, which works well with the sometimes downtrodden lyrics that still manage to come through the fuzz. The funny thing is, that even with all that, this is still Merritt’s most poppy, rock n’ roll album yet.
Tags: Distortion, Jesus-and-Mary-Chain, Magnetic-Fields, PsychocandyRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Albums
0 opinions for Album Review: Magnetic Fields’ Distortion
No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right? You could be first!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: