New Magnetic Fields album lives up to its name

By Erin Szrankowski
Senior Staff Writer
January 23, 2008

Since 1994, 69 Love Songs, Holiday and I, are only a few of the brilliant albums The Magnetic Fields have released in their career. The band is back, after a four-year hiatus, and has set out to rule the musicscape with its newest release, Distortion. Under the creative control of Stephin Merritt, The Magnetic Fields have taken the liberty to change the general sound from clean and demure to messy and more sonic.

Subtle change is nothing new to them, however. Their earlier albums ranged from ’80s synth pop to chamber pop, but never anything like this new album. Distortion’s sound is more reminiscent of The Jesus and Mary Chain, or even My Bloody Valentine. Overall, it is a very well-done album that fans will surely be pleased with hearing.

A good example of the JAMC-like sound is the first track off the album, “Three-Way.” “Three-Way” is basically a melodic piano structure, with distortion-laden guitars and a pounding drum to the thrice-said cheer of “Three-way!” This track serves as a good introduction to the album, due to its fun simplicity.

“California Girls,” sung by Shirley Simms, the only female vocalist in the group, has more of a vengeful tone. It is a good ode to those seen as “role models” over on the West Coast. You know who she means, even if she does not mention them namely. Simms frankly sings “I hate California girls.”

One of the great things about TMF is that Simms and Merritt can change the sound of their voices and become characters. In Merritt’s case, we hear the deeper, somber and sleepy voice in such tunes as “Old Fools.” His voice almost serves as an emotion to match his surrounding atmosphere. In the conversational “Please Stop Dancing,” there is a more pitched Merritt, as well as in the sad tale of “Too Drunk To Dream.” This time his voice is near pleasant and has a more youthful vibe to it, due to the more upbeat sounding music.

The same goes for Simms—at times her voice is all over the place. In one of the more humorous songs on the album, “The Nun’s Litany,” Simms exposes a woman who wants to be the opposite of a nun. The nun in question wants to be a Playboy Bunny or a tattooed lady.

Initially, I was surprised when I first heard the direction TMF was going in. I never would have expected the new album to go towards the reverb/distortion route. It seems that they like the idea of a temporary sound, in which they can explore their creative ideas. The trademark of the band, Merritt’s endless melancholy, is still lurking in the lyrical structure. In most songs on the album it is seen in lines like “I gotta get too drunk to dream/’cause dreaming only makes me blue” or “I watch the lonely snow come down Seventh Avenue/Now dreadful decorations deck the air and mistletoe is hanging everywhere/But you no longer care.” It proves how that they can get away with change, but at the same time, still be themselves.

Distortion turns out to be a masterful, sonic delight, which I foresee being on many top album lists of 2008.

szrankowskie1@lasalle.edu