Artist: The Magnetic Fields
Album: Love at the Bottom of the Sea
Is there anyone who doesn't just adore The Magnetic Fields' "69 Love Songs?" That classic 1999 triple-album was the last record the Fields' did for Merge records and the last time they used synthesizers, as the last three albums comprised their "no synths" trilogy. I was a fan of 2004's "i" as it maintained lead Stephin Merritt's offbeat humor, despite the move away from D.I.Y. electro-pop. The two that follow, "Distortion" and "Realism" didn't grab me much at all... "Distortion" was unlistenable (sorry, I don't care for Jesus and Mary Chain) and "Realism" was a straight-up folk album that was missing a lot of that trademark wit. Snore.
But the Magnetic Fields are back. And I have my fingers crossed that it's in a "69 Love Songs" kind of way. The synthesizers are back and given the punchy, grin-enducing lead single "Andrew in Drag," I'm quite hopeful and excited for the new record.
"Andrew in Drag" is a cheeky love song that reads pure Magnetic Fields; lo-fi production, art-fag goofiness, and winningly melodic. I've been humming it for the last two days.
"The moment he walked on the stage, my tail began to wag. Wag like a little wiener dog for Andrew in drag."
Amazing.
My only complaint is that it just seems to end, though none of the songs on the album cross the three-minute mark. Keeping this pop, pop.
Enjoy.
Andrew in Drag
The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side (69 Love Songs)
Nothing Matters When We're Dancing (69 Love Songs)
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