(streamed at Spinner ... thanks to Chromewaves for the link)Media: web stream (now available on CD)
Release Date: January 15, 2008
My overwhelming affection for Stephin Merritt and his numerous side projects dissipated about two or three years ago with both "i" (under the Magnetic Fields banner) and "Showtunes" (under his own name) being disappointing diversions (I didn't even manage to locate his Lemony Snicket instrumental project, but also didn't put much effort into trying). I think Merritt is one of today's greatest lyricists and equally one of the most talented composers, but I'm almost loathe to say that he piqued at his epic "69 Love Songs" and he has been working in the shadows of that behemoth ever since.
As well, the conceptual meaning behind his side projects, like Gothic Archies and Future Bible Heroes have essentially been integrated into his Magnetic Fields gig, and somehow it's less interesting this way. I should be terribly disappointed that I can't buy Merritt's latest album, but previewing it now, I'm not.
What I hear is a return to his early aesthetic of fuzzed out electronics accompanying his more recent instrumentation, which is something a warm return to what I initially liked about his work merged with some of his more recent tendencies of exploring different pre-'60's era songmanship and instrumentation. I like the experimentation, but at the same time, Merritt's let go of his pop-centric nature, and has instead moved towards haunting, droning, and, in some cases, boring ballads and, strongly juxtaposed, bombastic stage tunes.
There was a hint of something fabulous with the opening surf-style instrumental and the accompanying group chant in "Three Way" and the all-too-brief "Please Stop Dancing", which recalls that back-and-forth exchange with Claudia Gonson which made for some of 69 Love Songs' best tracks. Is it wrong that I want something more primal exciting, rather than pensive or conceptual from Merritt? Realistically, he should be leading an ensemble ala New Pornographers at this point (which would rekindle the vibe of another of his side-projects, the Sixths) or else revert the Magnetic Fields to a full solo project.
Merritt's lyrics and craftsmanship are still impeccable, doling out tune after tune of smart, wry or bizarre narratives, and I don't think there's a single misstep in terms of his idea-to-execution... everything is so utterly calculated, but at the same time, he seems like a man trying to remember what worked for him before and that's conflicting with his more current sensibilities. I like about 1/3rd of this album, and the title is an absolute fit (perhaps a conceptual experiment to fuzz out as many genres of music as he could?), but it's not enough to get me excited like I used to. As usual, I'll probably like it more when I have time to spend with the lyrics, but as is, it's just not catchy enough. It's definitely an improvement from most works of Merritt's this decade in overall appeal, and like all albums contains some amazing tunes, but he's really got to return to the idea of focussed concepts rather (road songs, love songs, holiday songs) than generic ones (titles beginning with "i", distorted sound).
Rating: 3/5