HOME
LISTS
REVIEWS
GIVEAWAYS
INTERVIEWS

7

While it’s clear that Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt hasn’t heard that many records in the past 20 years (“Psychocandy is the last significant event in popular music production. That’s the last thing I’ve heard which sounds blaringly original. I haven’t heard anything else since then that says, ‘this is a new way of making records’.”), it’s pretty hard to hold that against him after one listen to the band’s latest album, Distortion.

The record is obviously inspired by the shoegazey lush Jesus and Mary Chain album (and in some ways, is almost a tribute), but combines that with Merritt’s pop savvy songwriting (“California Girls”) and pathetically lovable lyrics (“Sober, you’re a cromagnun/Shitfaced, you’re very clever/Sober, you never should be/Shitfaced, now and forever”). Even though this is a bit of a grower, and a pretty sizable departure from i and 69 Love Songs, this is one of those records that you can close your eyes and get lost in.

Meanwhile, someone get this man a copy of Kid A, stat!