Magnetic Fields have been, at various points in my life, my favorite band. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the prodigious 69 Love Songs; it’s undoubtedly one of the best releases of all time. Yes, all time. The band’s other releases don’t fall very short of that pedestal, either.
I’ve saturated myself so completely with their work that I feel pretty certain that somewhere, in the back of my mind, there will always be a Magnetic Fields song playing. Which is fine with me, as long as it isn’t a track from Distortion.
I’m not a fan.
There are two major problems with this record. The first, to me, is the very aesthetic behind it. Merritt wanted to do a noisy, feedback-filled record, My Bloody Valentine style. That’s all well and good, in theory, and god knows I was excited about it (Merritt + MBV noise = all I need), but a lot of the material on this album doesn’t lend itself well to that sound. Like plaid and paisley, these elements, when combined, do not look good together. The odd pop of Magnetic Fields doesn’t translate into shoegaze, pure and simple. It sort of works at various points on the record, and it is interesting to hear them sounding so relaxed and making such a racket. But mostly it just sounds off, and very far away from the polish of Merritt’s hyper-clever pop songs.
Which brings me to the second thing wrong with this record – it is severely lacking the captivating cleverness that makes Magnetic Fields so damn good. Most of the songs are overly simplistic in content, and some of them are just outright cliché. I don’t need Einstein level lyrics, but I’m accustomed to a Magnetic Fields that can turn a phrase. When style impedes substance I lose interest, and I think that’s what’s happening on Distortion.
Not that there aren’t good tracks on it. There are. “Please Stop Dancing” is excellent. “Too Drunk To Dream” is obviously a crowd pleaser, with lyrics like “…sober, you’re a Cro-Magnon, shitfaced you’re very clever…” and so forth. (I have to restrain myself from typing all of the lyrics out, as that would be tedious, but the whole thing is very charming.) “I’ll Dream Alone” is the typical MF lament, and also a fantastic track on this album. “California Girls” is quite likable, though the lyrics are kind of trite. But a handful of decent songs does not a great album make.
It all boils down to this: as an album, Distortion is a fine release. It’s certainly not bad, and there’s a lot to like about it. But as a Magnetic Fields album, it is disappointing.
6 Comments »
i know, i was super excited too. i hate having my dreams crushed, damn!
So does Stephen Merritt. Hence, Too Drunk To Dream. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.
“sober, its ever darker. shitfaced, the moon is nearer….”
i suppose we should all go get drunk now?
i agree with you, amber darling - only fair. sadly. but i have been listening to i a lot since this one came out, so ironically it made me appreciate that one more. small mercies, man, small mercies.
still, it has its clever parts…”sober, nobody wants you; shitfaced, they’re all undressing” heh
joie, that song is truly a charm.
next time we meet, we’ll get too sloshed to dream, mk?
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Comment by Rik Speed. — February 22, 2008 @ 9:05 am
yeah…
when it first came out, I was really excited for a new album…
but after a while it became apparent, it just wasn’t going to be the first thing I chose when I wanted some Stephin Merritt bittersweetness…
maybe next time…